Tasmania’s new Bridgewater Bridge is almost complete following the pouring of the final pair of 42 bridge piers.
This marks the completion of the bridge’s substructure, bringing the project closer to having traffic on the bridge.
The Federal and Tasmanian Governments are investing $786 million into project, with the Federal Government committing $628.8 million, and $157.2 million from the Tasmanian Government.
The four-lane bridge will fix the missing link between the Brooker Highway and Midland Highway.
The 1.2km-long bridge will include two lanes of traffic in each direction, a safe shared path for cyclists and pedestrians, and clearance for boats.
The 46 piles that make up the bridge’s foundations were completed in July 2024, ranging between 30-90m below the river. One of the final piles to be poured is believed to be the largest ever poured in Australia, reaching 88m below the surface.
Each pier is the starting point for the construction of the superstructure, which is made up of 1,082 concrete bridge segments produced at the project’s purpose-built precast yard at Bridgewater.
The 21 pairs of piers range in height from eight to 16m to provide the navigation clearance under the bridge.
Made up of between 190-310 tonnes of concrete and 25-35 tonnes of steel, each pier is constructed using specially designed steel forms, which allow them to be poured in one piece on site.
The project remains on track to be delivered on time and within budget, with the new bridge due to be completed by July 2025.
Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister, Catherine King, said, “We know how important it is to deliver infrastructure that gets people home quicker and safer.
“This much-needed bridge replacement will also boost economic opportunities including ensuring tourists have a more enjoyable experience getting to and from the north and south of the state.
“We continue to deliver our commitments to priority projects right around Australia.”
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff, said, “Anyone who has driven through the area recently would have seen the hive of activity as we move closer to having traffic on the new bridge.
“The project site is changing daily, and Tasmanians are rightly excited to see the new bridge taking shape so quickly.
“Completing the bridge’s substructure is a major milestone and is a significant step towards seeing the deck of the new bridge finished.
“Not only will a new Bridgewater Bridge remove the bottlenecks people have been experiencing at each end of the bridge, but it will provide more reliable travel times so people know how long their journey will take.”
Tasmanian Minister for Infrastructure Kerry Vincent, said, “Seeing so many outstanding Tasmanian businesses come together to deliver this once-in-a-generation project is something special and something all Tasmanians should be proud of.
“The project is providing increased capacity and capability in local skills within the state’s civil construction industry.
“This means we can keep the skills and knowledge created on the project in the state and will benefit future major projects.”
Federal Member for Lyons Brian Mitchell, said, “Creating jobs, upskilling workers, and supporting Tasmanian industry has been a key focus of the New Bridgewater Bridge, with more than 25 per cent of the new jobs on the project filled by people from the Brighton, Derwent Valley, and Glenorchy municipalities.
“The steady progress being realised on this nationally significant project is big news for Bridgewater and other communities north of Hobart, where people rely on reliable and safe road links over the Derwent river.”
