Oversized movements

Motorists are asked to be aware of oversized truck movements from Bridgewater to both ends of the new Bridgewater Bridge via the Midland Highway, East Derwent Highway and Brooker Highway over the next six months as major construction continues.

Since April, many of the 1,082 concrete bridge segments that will make up the 1.2-kilometre deck of the new bridge have been transported from the project’s purpose-built precast yard in Bridgewater to the southern end of the new bridge in Granton via the East Derwent Highway, Bowen Bridge and Brooker Highway.

To save travel time and reduce the impact to road users, early August 2024, segments will also be transported to Granton using the existing Bridgewater Bridge.

The existing bridge will be used to transport segments during off-peak travel times only. To minimise disruption and keep people safe, the bridge will be closed to traffic between the causeway roundabout at Granton and the Midland Highway approach to bridge in Bridgewater for around 10 minutes each time a segment is transported across it.

Some of the larger segments will continue to travel to Granton via the East Derwent Highway, Bowen Bridge and Brooker Highway, with the remainder to be transported from the precast yard to the northern end of the new bridge via the Midland Highway.

Motorists are asked to be aware of changing traffic conditions when driving through the project site, and to follow all directions given by Transport Inspectors and traffic controllers on the road network.

Once the segments arrive at their destination, they are lifted into place using large cranes and specially designed lifting frames.

Around 75 per cent of the 1,082 segments have been produced, with close to 25 per cent now in place on the new bridge. The project is on track to be completed in mid-2025.