Barwon Heads road upgrade over rail gets underway

barwon heads

Barwon Heads Upgrade, bridge construction, construction, melbourne, Victoria,

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The new nine-metre-high bridge over the rail at Marshall is taking shape to make journeys safer and more reliable for citizens.

The new bridge over the rail at Marshall is starting to take shape with concrete supports, including columns and walls, completed in recent weeks in preparation for beam lifts next month.

More than 570 cubic metres of concrete have been used to construct the bridge’s foundations, columns and walls, and work to build the approach ramps and retain walls for the bridge is underway.

The bridge is part of the $365 million Barwon Heads Road Upgrade, creating more than 570 direct jobs and generating 1419 indirect jobs over the construction. Crews have clocked up close to 500,000 hours since early works began in July 2021.

Wall panels incorporating designs by the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) will be a feature of the new bridge. The detailed pattern represents vertically broken boomerang flanks, and the colour reflects soils from the region.

The panels are one of the many structures on the project that will incorporate Wadawurrung design and art, with Major Roads Projects Victoria having worked with WTOAC on other project design elements, colours, and landscaping.

In late August, 18 steel beams measuring between 29m and 55m and weighing close to 750 tonnes in total will be lifted into place in a major works milestone manufacture of the beams at local Corio supplier Thornton Engineering, which began in January and is nearing completion.

The 97-metre-long bridge will allow the removal of the level crossing at Marshall to increase safety and ease congestion along the busy road.

The Barwon Heads Upgrade project extends four kilometres from Settlement Road to Reserve Road. It includes upgraded intersections and new traffic lights; new shared walking and cycling paths and dedicated road cycling lanes, the level crossing removal and a new bridge over the rail line.

“Geelong is experiencing the largest population growth in regional Victoria, with the Armstrong Creek urban growth area expected to provide up to 65,000 homes over the next 10 to 25 years alone,” says the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan.

Progress on the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade has made significant strides following six weeks of intensive construction, with the upgraded intersection at Breakwater Road opening to vehicles on Saturday morning.

The project is funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments and is on track to completion in late 2023. 

Source: © Copyright State Government of Victoria

Image Source: © 2022, State Government of Victoria, Australia

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