A crane weighing 110 tonnes and measuring 58 metres in length has been assembled this week, marking the start of construction of the new $40 million Isle of Capri Bridge.
Mayor Tom Tate inspected the site today with bridge construction contractor Georgiou Group.
“The existing two-lane bridge carries around 18,000 cars per day, resulting in congestion and delays, especially during peak times,” he said.
“Over the next seven years, this is likely to increase to 25,000 cars per day.
“This new $40 million bridge will be built in three stages. A two-lane bridge will be constructed downstream of the existing bridge. Then the existing bridge will be demolished to make way for another two-lane bridge. This construction method will keep traffic moving across the city now and into the future.
“Once complete, the bridge will feature four lanes (two in each direction) and provide an increased clearance height of 4.5 metres to allow larger vessels on the Nerang River to pass underneath.
“There will also be a four-metre wide shared path on both sides of the bridge, to provide safer active travel options for the community.”
Over the next few weeks, an additional crane will be assembled on the other side of the river. The cranes will be used to install the piles and manoeuvre the oversized bridge components into place.
The Isle of Capri bridge project is supporting 137 local jobs.
The City commenced civil works in August 2019 in preparation for bridge works to commence late 2020. The first stage of the bridge is expected to be operational by mid-2021, with the entire project expected to be completed by mid-2022.
Georgiou Group Pty Ltd also constructed the City’s Green Bridge connecting HOTA to Chevron Island.
