Flinders Drive bridge construction

Concrete beams for the new Flinders Drive bridge were installed in February. Signifying a huge milestone for the project, the 14 beams were installed over a weekend and provide the foundation of the new structure.

Each beam is 35 metres long and weighs 74 tonnes. The beams were produced locally in South Australia and are the first of 80 to be installed for the project.

A number of concrete pours have been undertaken following beam installation, to form the bridge deck

In total, eight bridges are being constructed using two different methods: off-site fabrication and 'top down' construction.

Off-site fabrication is the method being used for the two new Main South Road bridges over the Southern Expressway and the northern section of the Ayliffes Road bridge. This method involves the bridge structure being fabricated off site and then transported into place.

Top down construction is the method being used for the Sturt River, Flinders Drive, Sturt Road, Sutton/Mimosa, Ayliffes Road (southern section) and Tonsley Boulevard bridges. It involves the bridge piers, supporting deck, road pavement, railings and shared-use paths being built at the current road surface level. Once construction of the top-down structures is complete and traffic is moved onto the new bridges, the soil underneath the bridge structure is then excavated in preparation for construction of the new lowered motorway.

Traffic is maintained at all times during construction by adjusting the alignment of traffic and paths around the main construction zone.