A giant 20-storey tower crane has been assembled into Brisbane River to help with the heavy lifting as the next phase of construction on the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge gets underway.
Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner said the crane is the largest lifting-capacity tower crane in the world and will lift key parts of the bridge into place from a barge in the middle of the Brisbane River.
“The Kangaroo Point Green Bridge will be an iconic bridge for our city and a key piece of infrastructure in the lead up to and beyond the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Lord Mayor Schrinner said.
“The biggest and best equipment is being used to build this bridge, which will not only delivery a new river crossing between Kangaroo Point and the CBD but will also have an over-water restaurant and café.”
The crane can reach up to 136-metres in height, is made up of 114 separate pieces and was assembled on site after being barged down the river from Port of Brisbane.
The tower crane will complete 14 major lifts to build the bridge, including putting parts of the 83-metre bridge mast in place, which will make the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge taller than the Story Bridge and the Gateway Bridge.
The project is being delivered on behalf of Council by Connect Brisbane, a consortium of bridge design, engineering, and construction specialists led by BESIX Watpac.
Lord Mayor Schrinner said the amount of work required to safely install the crane and build such a significant bridge in a marine environment was a challenging project.
“The heaviest lift this crane will do will be the 28-metre-tall mast head, which weighs 180 tonnes, the equivalent of around 13 Council buses,” he said.
“In many cases the temporary works required to support the construction activities, including temporary piling, barging and preparation for concrete pours, are as extensive as the permanent works.
“This project has created more than 700 local jobs as we work to deliver this project and the construction environment is very challenging.
“Most of the works are being conducted from barges on the river itself, minimising disruption to local residents.”
The Kangaroo Point Green Bridge will be one of the longest cable-stayed bridges for pedestrians and cyclists in the world.
Civic Cabinet Chair for Transport, Ryan Murphy said the 460-metre long bridge would revolutionise the way people travel.
“Every single trip taken over this green bridge is one less car on the road,” Cr Murphy said.
“The Kangaroo Point Green Bridge is expected to accommodate more than 6000 crossings per day by 2036, reducing car trips across the river by up to 84,000 each year.”
The bridge is anticipated to be completed in 2024.
