Bridges taking shape with final girders installed on Gympie bypass

• The delivery and installation of the final 21 of 730 bridge girders and deck units on the bypass occurred during the last week of September 2023.
• The 26km Gympie bypass project has 42 bridge structures being built in 23 locations over waterways, local roads, the North Coast Rail Line and the new Bruce Highway
• Two of the bridges are over 250 metres long (eight spans)
• The first girders were installed on the project in October 2021 over Tin Can Bay Road
• The final girders were installed on the 250 metre long Six Mile Creek Bridge on 26 September 2023.
• The largest girder on the project was over 38 metres long and weighed in at 102.5 tonnes.

Bridge construction is nearing completion on the Bruce Highway Upgrade – Cooroy to Curra, Section D (Gympie bypass), with the final girders being installed on the 42 bridge structures.

The $1 billion project is due for completion late 2024, weather permitting.

The Gympie bypass is jointly funded on an 80:20 basis, with the Australian Government contributing $800 million and the Queensland Government $200 million.

The bypass is estimated to support an average of 570 direct jobs over the life of the project.

For more information about the project, visit www.tmr.qld.gov.au/cooroytocurra (choose 'Section D').

For up-to-date information about traffic changes, visit www.QLDTraffic.qld.gov.au

Quotes attributable to the Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey

“The Gympie bypass has overcome a long list of challenges like a world-wide pandemic, several floods and supply chain issues but it is powering ahead and we are getting the job done.

“The completion of these girders is a major milestone for this critical road infrastructure project, and I thank the workers on this project for their efforts.

“If each of the bridges were placed end-to-end, they would span almost four kilometres, which is longer than Queensland’s longest bridge, the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge which crosses Hays inlet and links Brisbane to Redcliffe. 

“I would like to thank the community and the travelling public while we delivered these vital pieces of pre-cast concrete bridge elements to site from Brisbane, one truck (or jinker as they are also called) per girder.”

Further information:

Drone footage available here:

View it!

Password: Gympie

www.tmr.qld.gov.au/cooroytocurra (select ‘Section D’)

ENDS

Media contact – Minister Bailey office – 0419 288 284