Monster girders installed on Toowoomba bypass
A MAJOR engineering challenge has been accomplished with the installation of the first span of Super T girders on the viaduct of the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said the crossing was one of the most exciting infrastructure projects in the nation.
“It is part of our $75 billion infrastructure investment program, supporting up to 1800 direct and indirect jobs during design and construction,” he said.
“It is going to make a real difference to the region by improving freight movement, creating local jobs and making the region’s road network safer.”
Queensland Minister for
Main Roads and Road Safety Mark Bailey inspected the site yesterday to get an update on the project.
“The installation of the viaduct’s first 11 girders is a major achievement. This sounds like a normal bridge job, but not when you consider the work is happening on the steep side
of the Toowoomba Range and these Super Ts are up to 38 metres long, weighing up to 90 tonnes each,” he said.
“The viaduct is being constructed along the escarpment between Wallens Rd at Ballard and the New England Hwy, using 5,000 tonnes of reinforcement and 26,000
cubic metres of concrete.
“Completion of the first span means viaduct construction can now progress without affecting
the rail line and Nexus can move on to pouring the bridge deck that will carry four lanes of traffic.
“In the end, this huge
effort will help to reduce the number of heavy vehicles in Toowoomba’s CBD and is the engineering centrepiece of the project.”