Concrete evidence of road building blitz

Eight, 60 tonne concrete girders have been lowered into place over the MaroochyRiver on the SunshineCoast today.

Parliamentary Secretary for Main Roads, Andrew McNamara, said it marks another important milestone in the construction of the $36 million duplication of the MaroochyRiverBridge.

“There’s been a lot of deck building activity on the north and south banks of the MaroochyRiver but this is the first section of the new bridge to actually span across the water.

“It’s more concrete evidence of the Queensland Government’s road building blitz now being rolled out across the SunshineCoast,” he said.

The duplication of the MaroochyRiverBridge is a key plank in the $110 million upgrade of the Sunshine Motorway.

Work is also about to start on the Motorway’s $45 million four lane widening between Maroochydore Road and David Low Way, while duplication between Sippy Downs Drive and the Kawana Way Interchange is on track for completion by the middle of the year.

Mr McNamara said the girders were lowered onto a support pier by a large launching truss, with construction crews now preparing to pour the concrete deck slab which will form the foundation for the bitumen road surface.

“This will bring to six the number bridge decks in place so far, four of them on the southside and two on the northern edge of the river.

“Engineers are now completing the next pier in the chain ahead of laying the skeleton for the seventh deck in about three weeks.

“The new bridge across the MaroochyRiver is on track to open to traffic by the end of the year when the existing bridge will close to allow construction crews to widen it to accommodate extra lanes.”

Mr McNamara said by late 2008 there’ll be six lanes across the MaroochyRiver in addition to pedestrian access and a bikeway.

“Once all of the pieces in the Sunshine Motorway jigsaw are in place, motorists will enjoy less congestion and quicker travel times. It demonstrates the Queensland Government is delivering for the SunshineCoast,” he said.

Media Contact: Darren Roberts 3237 1947