There’s been no rest for our crews at Diggers Rest who have been busy working out ways to cut carbon emissions while building a new road bridge over the Old Calder Highway.
The project team has sourced more than 10,000 cubic metres of volcanic rock from a local quarry to use as backfill for the new road bridge over the rail line, permanently separating vehicles and trains and improving safety and easing congestion.
Transporting the mix of soil and crushed rock from a quarry located just 7km from site has cut the distance trucks have travelled and saved about 616 tonnes of carbon emissions.
Carbon emissions have also been saved through the use of glass fibre straps and reinforced polymer bars that require 5 times less energy to produce, are 2 times stronger and 75% lighter than steel alternatives.
The synthetic bars are used to support sections of the bridge’s retaining walls, made up of 450 concrete panels.
Crews kicked off major construction on the new bridge at Old Calder Highway in August last year, using a 22.5m piling rig to create the foundations, drilling 10 holes about 10m deep into the ground.
Crews are also working to remove the nearby level crossing at Watson’s Road, Diggers Rest.
More than 8000 vehicles use the 2 level crossings every day, with 27 trains travelling through the boom gates during the morning peak, creating 36 minutes of boom gate down time.
The road bridges will open in 2025, bringing the Sunbury Line one step closer to being level crossing free.
