In an Australian-first for a civil construction project of this scale, the first of two new bridges constructed ‘off-site’ have been successfully transported and installed for the A$620 million Darlington Upgrade Project in Adelaide, South Australia.

The 180m-long, 3000 tonne bridge was built on land between the Southern Expressway and Marion Road, Bedford Park, over several months and was installed using ‘self-propelled modular transporters’ (SPMTs) on 24 and 25 November 2017.

The Darlington Upgrade Project is being delivered by Gateway South (Joint Venture between Fulton Hogan and Laing O’Rourke) on behalf of the South Australian Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

The innovative off-line bridge construction method was adopted, rather than traditional bridge construction practices, as it significantly reduces traffic and community impacts. Only a single weekend closure was required to install the pre-assembled bridge, alleviating the need for multiple major road closures.

The very successful bridge move was completed well ahead of schedule.

*Images courtesy of Timelapse Adelaide