The New Bridgewater bridge visualisation
Photo by: Aveng
Construction company Aveng’s subsidiary McConnell Dowell has been awarded a A$600-million contract to deliver Tasmania’s largest-ever transport infrastructure project – the New Bridgewater bridge.
Located 20 km north of Hobart’s central business district, the project will replace the existing lift span bridge that was built in the 1940s and provide a new, modern bridge spanning 1 km over the Derwent river.
The upgrade will facilitate the crossing of about 22 000 people daily and is aimed at improving safety, connecting local communities and creating more open space.
The bridge will also form the missing link in Tasmania’s national highway.
McConnell Dowell’s design features a new, four-lane bridge downstream of the existing crossing, enhanced interchanges at either end, as well as a dedicated shared pathway for cyclists and pedestrians.
McConnell Dowell’s team includes international partners, as well as several local construction companies and contractors to leverage the economic opportunities for Tasmania stemming from the project.
“This type of project resonates very closely with our purpose of ‘Providing a Better Life’ and we look forward to engaging with the local community in the delivery of the project,” Aveng CEO Sean Flanagan said in a July 19 statement.
Major construction will start later this year, with the new bridge to open to traffic by the end of 2024.
Tasmania Department of State Growth deputy project director Kevin Bourne said reaching the milestone was the result of extensive planning, design work and community engagement.
“We’ve done a significant amount of work over the past two years to get the project to a position where we are ready to start building,” he added.