47 hours of continuous work has removed a pedestrian footbridge in the Brisbane CBD, to make way for the new Roma Street station, part of Cross River Rail.
A works blitz commenced at 7pm on Friday, March 27, and by Monday, March 30, the six metre above ground concrete bridge was gone, replaced with a pedestrian crossing.
The 30m-long bridge, built in 1986, was structurally attached to the Brisbane Transit Centre, which is being demolished.
The machinery involved in the demolition included a 47-tonne excavator with mechanical pulveriser, a 20 tonne excavator with hammer, a High Reach demolition rig with Hammer, an 80t Grove mobile all terrain crane and a 25t franna crane.
CEO of the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority, Graeme Newtown, said that every precaution was taken to ensure that construction for the Cross River Rail Project continues.
“Our safety measures ensure we keep this project working, and this is vitally important given the project employs almost 1,800 workers across eight work sites and injects over $2.8 million per day into our economy,” he said.
“This is another example, of safe and well-executed work to keep our project moving.”
The bridge was closed on Monday, January 13 and prior to the demolition information was distributed to local residents and businesses and commuters who use the Brisbane Transit Centre. The footbridge is located in a busy area of the CBD through which 3,500 pedestrians and 3,00 vehicles pass on a combined average weekday morning and afternoon peak.
A new pedestrian crossing needed to be established quickly for the approximately 2,500 people who cross from Hershel to Roma Street in both directions during an am and pm peak.