Key milestone for New Dubbo Bridge as pile driving comes to an end
Construction of the New Dubbo Bridge has marked a key milestone following the completion of piling to support the 660-metre structure being built over the Macquarie River.
For more than 12 months, Dubbo residents have heard the sound of 89 tubular steel piles up to 60-metres long being driven into the ground, with noise carrying more than a kilometre away from the work site.
Transport for NSW acknowledges the impact of the noise on nearby residents and thanks them for their patience now that the major milestone of completing all pile driving work has been reached,
Transport for NSW Director West Alistair Lunn said with all 89 piles now in place, crews have almost completed the task of filling the piles with concrete to support the new bridge.
“The project team is also in the process of lifting 123 girders into place on top of the piers and these will form the bridge structure,” Mr Lunn said.
“The final steps for the bridge component of the project will be pouring the concrete to form the bridge deck, installing parapets, streetlights and laying the road pavement to complete the bridge ready for traffic.”
Mr Lunn said piling work created some challenges for crews, with each pile needing to be driven an extra 20 metres into the earth to achieve the necessary stability.
“The original bridge design planned for each pile to be installed to an average depth of 40 metres into the ground; however, during test piling, it became evident that poor ground conditions on-site were insufficient to support the bridge as designed,” he said.
“As a result, the piles had to be driven much deeper into the earth and into stronger ground conditions to ensure proper support. This adjustment required the piles to be about 50 per cent longer than originally planned, extending each pile by about 20 metres.
“This additional piling work, coupled with increased earthworks costs, placed great pressure on the project budget, prompting an additional investment of $43 million into the project.”
Meanwhile, crews have almost completed sewerage and water relocations associated with the New Dubbo Bridge project and are about to start work to relocate electrical wires underground.
Pavement work on the intersection upgrade at River and Bourke Streets will commence soon, while the temporary closure of Brisbane Street near River Street and Darling Street will continue until late October 2024.
The New Dubbo Bridge is a $263.2 million project jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments, supporting an estimated 290 direct and 1200 indirect jobs during the construction phase.
Once completed, the New Dubbo Bridge will transform the way locals, tourists and freight operators travel through Dubbo, reducing traffic congestion in the city centre and improving access across the Macquarie River, particularly during flood events.
“The New Dubbo Bridge will be a wonderful legacy for future generations,” Mr Lunn said.