Major works on the new 68-metre bridge over the Plenty River are now underway, with 33 giant beams installed as the Bridge Inn Road Upgrade hits an exciting milestone.
We've installed 33 precast super-T beams, measuring up to 32 metres in length. Twenty-four piles have already been bored to depths of 15 metres into bedrock to support the new bridge, which will run parallel to the existing bluestone bridge.
The beams were manufactured at a pre-casting concrete factory in Melton, which is one of the thousands of important supply chain businesses benefiting from Victoria’s Big Build.
Using pre-made concrete beams sped up works on the bridge, meaning drivers faced shorter disruptions.
The beams began their 67-kilometre journey to Bridge Inn Road on the night before installation commenced and continued over the next few days, until all 33 beams were lowered into place. Each beam was carefully placed to be millimetre perfect.
At the completion of the project, the existing century-old bluestone bridge will be transformed into a separated pedestrian and bike path crossing, better connecting the growing community to local schools, shops, public transport and employment.
Bridge Inn Road is being widened from 2 to 4 lanes between Plenty Road and Yan Yean Road, removing a significant bottleneck and improving access to the new Mernda Railway Station and Mernda town centre. The project is replacing the existing 2-lane heritage bridge with a purpose-built 4-lane bridge, which when complete will boost traffic flow across Melbourne’s north.
Find out more about the New bridge over Plenty River.
The Bridge Inn Road Upgrade will be completed by 2025.