Customer: Department of Infrastructure and Transport Contract: Alliance Location: Adelaide, South Australia

Fast Facts Demolition and removal of existing bridge structure Relocation of services onto their independent structure Building and installation of new bridge structure Construction of road works that tie into the bridge.

Delivered as part of the Public Transport Projects Alliance (PTPA), we delivered this small but complex road-over-rail bridge replacement to cater to significant local traffic increases due to the construction of a nearby freeway. 

The success of the project was underpinned by our team's ability to implement traffic diversion, construction staging, and rail possession strategies that minimised impacts on road and rail traffic.

Four full rail possessions were used with the major closure scheduled on Easter weekend and used to demolish the existing bridge and install the pre-cast concrete deck beams. The other three 24-hour rail closures were used to complete concrete precast walls; install anti-throw screens and anti-climb grilles; install platypus drains; relocate all existing services from the old bridge to a new gantry; and finally remove all access walkways and scaffold. All possessions were handed back on time.

All other works were scheduled for the "overnight - no train" periods and included the installation of the access scaffold around the existing bridge abutments; completion of the deck concrete pours; and the installation of the track guard rails. These works were all completed without any delays to trains.

With busy Meyer Road closed for the duration of construction, road disruptions were minimised with a traffic diversion involving only 700 m of additional travel.

Community engagement involved the adjacent RSPCA, industrial sites, and residents, who were 400 – 500 metres away. The local community was advised through mobile phone apps and social media of any late or night work and the project only received two calls: one about noise from a tower light and the other to ask when the next train was due.

The area around the project is heavily treed and during site mobilisation, it was identified that some trees would need to be removed for access. Extensive engagement with our customers, relevant government departments, and the community occurred before removal, ensuring that all parties were informed and tree removal was limited as much as possible.

The project has received several industry awards including a Permanent Way Institute (PWI) Safety and Environment Award and a Civil Contractors' Federation Excellence Award.