The Banora Point upgrade project is on track and progressing well with the delivery of concrete bridge girders (support beams) underway and installation about to start. The super bridge girders will form a 330 metre bridge in the southern valley.
This week, Nationals Member for Tweed, Geoff Provest, watched as a massive concrete girder was lifted into place by an enormous, 450 tonne green crane.
“The girders for the southern valley bridge began arriving on site from February 8 and since then, a total of 40 have been delivered,” Mr Provest said.
A total of 20 spans are required to build the bridge in the southern valley. Each span is made up of seven girders, with each girder weighing up to 64 tonnes and ranging in length from 20 to 33 metres.
“The project team will install the girders in three stages. Stage one began this week and involves installing six spans,” Mr Provest said.
“In early June another six spans will be erected as part of stage two. Lastly, stage three involves the installation of eight spans.
Mr Provest also said that many local residents have commented on the scope of the work and the size of the specialised cranes that will be used to lift the girders into place.
“Installing the girders is a huge task requiring a 450 tonne mobile crane with 160 tonne counter weight to lift each girder into place,” Mr Provest said.
“Each span takes at least one day to erect and, weather permitting, the girder installation is scheduled to be completed by the end of August.
The $359 million project, jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments, will extend about 2.5 kilometres from the northern end of Barneys Point Bridge to the southern end of the Tweed Heads bypass.
The RTA has formed an alliance with Abigroup Contractors, Seymour Whyte Constructions and Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation (SMEC) to design and build the Banora Point upgrade project.
Southbound highway traffic is scheduled to be travelling on the new bridge by December 2011 and northbound highway traffic by mid-2012.
The Banora Point upgrade project is due to be fully completed by late 2012.
