The final concrete segment for the new Bridgewater Bridge has been produced, marking a significant milestone in the construction of the $786 million project.
Over the past 18 months, a precast facility just up the road from the construction site has built each of the 1,082 deck segments, weighing between 50 and 90 tonnes each and measuring 15 metres wide.
Infrastructure Minister Kerry Vincent said at peak production, the facility produced up to five segments each day.
75% of those are already in place on the bridge and the remaining 25% will be installed “straight after Christmas” in the first quarter of 2025.
“I do get excited every time I visit this side as an old concrete chippy in previous lifetime,” he said.
“It is fantastic to see this job coming together so smoothly.”
The bridge, jointly funded by the state and federal governments, will be 1.2km long and feature four lanes for vehicles and a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists.
Traffic will be driving on the new bridge next year.
Federal Labor Minister Julie Collins said the Australian Government had stumped up $628.8 million to meet the $786 million price tag.
“I think I can speak on behalf of all Tasmanians when I say Tasmanians are really pleased to see the great progress on this bridge,” she said.
“We know that Tasmanians have been patient with the construction of this bridge as they get held up as work continues, but it’s not long to go now and I think we all look forward to seeing this bridge complete.”
Major traffic changes will take place in Bridgewater and Granton next week so that construction can continue, including a switch in the layout of the roads on both sides of the River Derwent.
