Sheahan Bridge duplication

Sheahan Bridge duplication

The duplicated Sheahan Bridge over the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai, immediately upstream of the existing crossing, opened on 25 May 2009.


About the project

The $78 million project, funded by the Federal Government and managed by the then Roads and Traffic Authority, was officially opened on Monday 25 May 2009.

The existing 1.1 kilometre Sheahan Bridge opened to traffic in March 1977. It is a steel box girder structure with a single lane in each direction. Collisions and breakdowns on that bridge resulted in long traffic delays.

Contractors:

  • Design and construction: Fulton Hogan Pty Ltd.
  • Site management: Professional Engineering Services.

Fast facts

  • Over the floodplain, the bridge comprises 24 spans of concrete T-beams, while the 3 spans over the Murrumbidgee River consist of balanced cantilever box girder sections.
  • The floodplain structure is 960m long and includes 40m long pre-stressed concrete T beams. These are amongst the longest to be used in Australia.
  • The bridge is comprised of 12,000 cubic metres of structural concrete.
  • Approximately 2,000 tonnes of steel reinforcement have been used in the bridge.
  • There are 96 pre-stressed girders on the floodplain structure.
  • A total of 768 concrete safety barrier panels were prefabricated in Ballarat and transported and erected on the bridge.
  • There are 220km of pre-stressed cables in the girders alone.
  • There is an additional 20km of pre-stressed cable in the balanced cantilever structure.

Features

  • A 1.15 kilometre, 2 lane southbound bridge over the Murrumbidgee River and floodplain. The existing 2 lane bridge is now used by northbound traffic.
  • 1.5 kilometres of new road approaches connecting with the existing dual carriageway.
  • Minor adjustments on the Nangus Road (Gundagai to Junee) Road to provide sufficient clearance between the bridge and the road.

Benefits

  • Improved road safety by separating opposing traffic flows in a high speed environment.
  • Improved traffic efficiency by increasing travel speed and providing consistent road conditions to dual carriageway standards.
  • Together with the Coolac Bypass, completes dual carriageway on the Hume Highway from Sydney to the Sturt Highway turnoff.