Seven of 19 deck segments on the new $342 million Nowra bridge have been cast and have been launched over the Shoalhaven River
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The bridge deck segments, each around 20 metres long, are being cast on the southern side of the river and then are being pushed into place by hydraulic jacks onto the top of the V-shaped piers
Each decking segment has around 36 cubic metres of concrete.
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The completed deck portions are pushed via the hydraulic jacks onto the top of the V-shaped piers, across bearings that are in place on each pier into its final position using low-friction pads, which allow it to slide.
The whole segment is moved 20 metres north at a time.
Six and a half of the nine V-shaped bridge piers are complete.
Two are ready to be poured, while the final pylons on the northern end of the bridge, to create the final pier, are in place.
Seven of eight pile caps, which cap the piles driven into the Shoalhaven riverbed are now complete, ahead of the pre-cast pile cap tubs which are built on land, being lifted by crane into position over the piles.
The tubs create a watertight working area to install the steel pile cap structure and act as formwork for the concrete infill.
The pile tub and infill concrete connects each group of four piles below the water to each pier that projects above the water.
The buttress on which the northern end of the bridge will also be positioned is in place.
While the crossing of the Shoalhaven River is a major part of the project there is plenty of other work being carried out across the project.
On the Princes Highway, south of the bridge approaches, the roadway has been widened to the west and traffic has transferred onto the new section of roadway in front of the Shoalhaven City Council administrative building.
Work is now underway upgrading the former highway section on the eastern side, which will link into the new access road for residents from the Riverview Road area and surrounds, back onto the highway via Lyrebird Drive. Construction of that road is well underway.
Work has also been undertaken upgrading the intersection of Bridge Road and the Princes Highway.
Illaroo Road, north of the bridge, has seen some major changes.
Traffic has has shifted into the new lowered section in a temporary arrangement, with two lanes operating in each direction together with the new roundabout at the intersection of Illaroo Road and Fairway Drive.
This temporary arrangement will remain in place until mid-2022 and will enable work to continue widening and lowering the southern side of Illaroo Road to allow for the final seven lanes of traffic at the Illaroo Road intersection.
There will also be a weekend closure of Bolong Road at the intersection with the Princes Highway from 7pm Friday, October 8 until 6am Monday, October 11, weather permitting.
There will be no access to or from Bolong Road at the intersection during this time.
This temporary closure is required to allow road surfacing work to be carried out at the Princes Highway and Bolong Road intersection.
Traffic lights at this intersection will be temporarily turned off during this closure which will allow traffic to flow freely along the Princes Highway.
During night work, lane closures may be in operation along the Princes Highway.
During the closure, detours will be in place for light and heavy vehicles and these can be viewed in the detour animation.
Light vehicles will be detoured via Beinda Street or via Meroo Street and Cambewarra Road, while heavy vehicles will be detoured via Railway Street and Meroo Road.
Resident and business access will be maintained at all times via the eastern end of Bolong Road.
There will be some temporary footpath changes during the closure with pedestrian access maintained under traffic control.
The footpath on the western side of the Princes Highway between Illaroo Road and Mattes Way will be closed during this work.
Pedestrians will be detoured onto the footpath on the eastern side of the highway. Crossing locations are available at the Beinda Street roundabout or at the signalised crossing at Illaroo Road.
Work is also well underway on the new crossing of Bomaderry Creek, with excavation undertaken and piers in place.
So far 98 per cent of major utility relocations due to the project are also complete, while 100 per cent (62km) of telecommunications cables have been moved and cutover.
On average there are 200 workers on site each day, with the project on track to be completed in mid-2024, weather permitting.
The project will provide a new four lane bridge over the Shoalhaven River and upgrades to more than 1.7 kilometres of the Princes Highway, including upgraded intersections and additional lanes, replacing the existing 1881 wrought iron whipple truss bridge which has restrictions on over-mass and over-height vehicles, high ongoing maintenance costs and can only carry highway traffic for a limited time.
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