The Coomera Connector project is full steam ahead with the arrival of a unique piece of construction equipment onsite on the Coomera River – a 48-metre-long piling barge named the Maeve Anne.
The Maeve Anne has made the journey from the docks at Murrarie in Brisbane to her new home on the Coomera River, where she will assist with building the nearly one-kilometre-long Coomera River bridge as part of Stage 1 North.
The Maeve Anne will be used to build a temporary jetty on the northern banks of the Coomera River, which will be used to store material and equipment, and to move supplies and people out onto the river.
Once the jetty is installed, works will start on building 20 bridge marine piles, which will take about six months to complete.
The Maeve Anne will later be joined by her sister barge, the Suzanne, which will be used in the construction of the Coomera River bridge substructure, and to install bridge girders.
The Maeve Anne is equipped with a 250-tonne crane and piling rigs that include vibratory (vibro) hammers and a fly drill, and will utilise a crew of around eight specialist marine construction workers on board and the barge.
The Suzanne will also have its own specialist crew and is equipped with a 500-tonne crawler crane.
Local mariners will notice some changed conditions on the Coomera River around the marine construction area, including a temporary navigation channel and reduced speed limits.
The area will be clearly marked with buoys to ensure the safety of the project team and river users.
The Australian and Queensland governments have committed $2.16 billion to plan and build Coomera Connector Stage 1 between Coomera and Nerang, with each investing $1.07 billion.
Major construction on the Coomera Connector started in March.
The new motorway is expected to open progressively to traffic from late 2025, with planning continuing for future stages.
