Another major milestone has been achieved with the new Nepean River pedestrian bridge today reaching the western side of the river.
Stuart Ayres MP, Member for Penrith said the landing of the new bridge has brought the Penrith community one step closer to the newest piece of active transport infrastructure in the region.
“Crews have been on the job since June 2016 to prepare the river and site for the new pedestrian bridge so it’s great to see the bridge has safely made its way across the iconic waterway,” Stuart Ayres said.
“We celebrated the launch of the bridge segments at the end of last year and community members can now see the new bridge in its full form.
“In five short months, crews have expertly and carefully launched the 700 tonne bridge across the river which will be an icon for the region for years to come.”
Stuart Ayres said the launch is a delicate process with around 20 crew members needed to operate the machinery to lift the final segment into place.
“The launch of this section involves using two heavy lift jacks to pull the final section of the bridge across sliding tracks which are made of stainless steel and Teflon,” Stuart Ayres said.
“Once this section of the bridge is pulled to the western side of the Nepean River, it will rest on the permanent pier.
“The last segment of the bridge required a lot of forward planning and it’s great to see the bridge is now in its final place, almost ready for the community to walk across.
“While the bridge is now in its position, crews are still getting on with the job to build the eastern approach and complete finishing work on the truss railing.”
Stuart Ayres said the community and motorists travelling across Victoria Bridge will now be able to see the new pedestrian bridge its entirety.
“This new bridge will transform the way Penrith residents interact with the Nepean River and will provide a safe crossing for years to come.”
The new bridge is expected to be completed later this year, weather permitting.
For more information about the new pedestrian bridge visit: http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-west/nepean-river-bridge/index.html
