VIDEO: A 750 tonne crawler crane has put a new light rail bridge into place over the Eastern Distributor, marking an important milestone in the $2.1 billion Sydney CBD and South East Light Rail project.
The newly-installed Eastern Distributor Bridge connects the missing link of the route between the CBD and the South East.
Transport for NSW said the bridge enables crews to continue tunnelling in Moore Park and expand construction in Surry Hills.
The bridge took five nights to complete and ongoing work including track laying, landscaping and roadwork is expected to be complete in early 2017.
NSW transport and infrastructure minister Andrew Constance said more than seven kilometres of the 12 kilometre route is now under construction.
“It’s exciting to see this project coming to life,” Constance said.
The minister said Surry Hills was one of the key focuses of project crews in the next few months, with footpaths and pocket parks, outdoor dining and a green corridor along Devonshire Street on the cards.
“Our focus is to maintain that unique personality that residents and visitors all love about Surry Hills, while improving the streetscape and providing a fantastic new public transport service at the same time,” Constance said.
“There’s an opportunity for us to make massive improvements that will add to the culture and environment of Devonshire Street, and as well as new pocket parks, we are undergrounding the current overhead powerlines and widening footpaths where we can.”