Hume Highway Meccano Set - work complete
Project overview
Work is now complete on the replacement of the ‘Meccano Set’; a southwestern Sydney landmark at the intersection of Hume Highway, Henry Lawson Drive and Woodville Road, Lansdowne.
Project information
Roads and Maritime Services has maintained the Meccano Set for more than 50 years.
In January 2015, Roads and Maritime Services sought community feedback on the Meccano Set’s future. Two options were proposed: repaint and maintain the structure or remove it completely and replace it with standard traffic signals and directional signs. Public responses revealed a deep affection for the Western Sydney landmark, with around 90 percent wanting it to remain.
Investigations over the following years found that repairing the existing structure, on-site or off-site, presented significant safety risks to both workers and road users. Roads and Maritime Services established that replacing the structure with an identical, pre-fabricated version, prepared off-site, was a safe, cost‑effective and timely alternative.
Work to replace the structure began in January 2019. Existing footings holding the four corner supports were strengthened to protect the structure. This was done using ‘bored piles’ –drilling a circular hole in the ground, installing a steel tube and filling it with concrete.
The components of the structure were fabricated off-site transported to the site and assembled in position. Each side of the structure was replaced one at a time, then tested and commissioned.
Find out more about the fabrication of the new beams and supports in the July 2019 end‑of‑work notification.
Project documents
Project updates
| File | Title | Size |
|---|---|---|
| July 2019 project update The Hume Highway ‘Meccano Set’ finds new life. | 480Kb | |
| April 2019 project update ‘Meccano Set’ replacement, Hume Highway, Lansvale: temporary road closures. | 417Kb | |
| January 2019 project update Start of work | 555Kb | |
| November 2018 project update New future for a local icon | 1.83Mb |
Contact us
For more information please contact the project team:
Phone: 1800 677 700
Email:nswenquiries@vbajv.com.au
Mail: PO Box 838, Rockdale, NSW, 2216