South-west’s landmark Ward River Bridge takes shape

Construction on western Queensland's fourth-longest bridge is taking shape, with the completion of vital supporting structural work on the $15 million Ward River Bridge.

Main Roads Minister Warren Pitt said stakeholders, including Murweh Shire Mayor Mark O'Brien, inspected progress today on the new bridge to see first-hand how far the project had progressed.

Mr Pitt said work had reached the stage where the structure had a recognisable bridge shape, with the installation of the pre-cast deck units.

“These deck units are being used to support the road surface and will sit on the headstocks and columns supporting the overall bridge structure,” Mr Pitt said.

“The deck units span the 20m gap between the headstocks, and when connected, will form a very strong deck capable of carrying any likely loadings on the bridge well into the future.”

Mr Pitt said the latest work showed the complexity and size of the project, which is being constructed in a cooperative arrangement with Davbridge Contractors and Murweh Shire Council.

“The pre-cast concrete deck units, which were manufactured in Rockhampton, have been on-site since early 2007. Pre-casting the deck units meant this phase of the project could be accelerated, which would otherwise have been slower, given the distances required to ship the units in.

"Being able to store the units on-site also gave the project a great building advantage at this time year, when the river tends to be in full flow.”

Mr Pitt said the bridge work remained on track to be completed in mid-2009, weather permitting.

Once completed, the bridge will be 260 metres long.

Mr Pitt said the Ward River Bridge project was one example of the Bligh Government’s major road infrastructure investment in the south-west region.

"Infrastructure in the area is progressing full steam ahead, with projects such as the $30 million Roma-Taroom Road and the widening of the Carnarvon Highway north of Injune underway,” he said.

"Main Roads is also widening the Angellala Creek Bridge on the Warrego Highway and investing in intersection safety upgrades in Roma.

"These road projects are part the Bligh Government’s $50 million commitment to connect south-west Queensland road users.”

Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819