It is one of the biggest tasks Wollongong City Council has undertaken and next week construction will start on the largest bridge in the Fowlers Road project.
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A second bridge will be built over the South Coast rail line and will connect Fowlers Road and Fairwater Drive, Dapto.
On December 22 and 23, 20 large pre-cast concrete “SuperT’s” girders will be installed over the rail line.
Two cranes will hoist the 20 to 30 metre long girders that each weigh between 30 and 40 tonnes into place.
Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said council was proud to deliver the large-scale project.
“It will see flood reliable access for residents of the southern suburbs,’’ he said.
“I know the community will be very pleased to see this milestone of the girders going in for the bridge reached just before Christmas.
“It’s a key moment in a long-term project for this community that will ultimately see a new four-lane 1.3 kilometre road with a shared path as well as two bridges crossing the South Coast rail line, Mullet Creek and the flood plain.”
Construction of the 298-metre bridge will cost about $40 million.
The massive road link project will cost $93 million and is expected to be complete in 2020.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and Kiama MP Gareth Ward said he was “delighted’’ to support the project.
“Investing and working with Wollongong Council the NSW Government has helped deliver this much needed infrastructure to provide continued accessibility for residents in a fast growing area of our state,” he said.
The state government has invested more than $25 million into the project.
The installation of the bridge girders will take place during the rail corridor shutdown on December 22 and 23.
Due to the extensive work required to install the girders in this limited time, the bulk of the works will take place between 5am on December 22 and 7pm December 23.
Works on this stage of the project will include the set up and removal of a 450 tonne and a 150 tonne crane, preparation of bridge girders prior to placement, lifting bridge girders into position and minor scaffolding works.
In February, contractors lifted nine pre-cast concrete planks onto the first bridge over the land between the suburb of Horsley and Dapto High School. Stage one was finished in June 2018 with the construction of initial bulk earthworks, high voltage power and other service relocations and the bridge over the flood diversion channel.
Stage two construction works started in August. This stage includes the bridge over the South Coast Rail Line and Mullet Creek, earthworks, roadworks, intersection upgrade and drainage works along Daisy Bank and Fairwater drives. It also includes Marshall Street deviation works. A future connection to Bong Bong Road is possible.
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