Update Pine Creek Bridge Works

Successful Federal Government Funding through the Bridges Renewal Program has allowed the Northern Areas Council to upgrade and widen the Pine Creek Bridge. This project is made possible by funding contributions from the Australian Government, Department of Infrastructure ($2.9 Million); the South Australian Government, Department for Infrastructure and Transport ($340,000); and the Northern Areas Council.

The Northern Areas Council engaged McMahon Services Australia, to undertake major upgrade works on the Pine Creek Bridge, north of Laura. Works began in August 2023, with the planned re-opening in May 2024. Council are providing regular updates - all can be found below.

The scope of the work includes:

• Widening the bridge deck from 6.4m to 7.0m to accommodate modern heavy vehicle traffic.
• Restoring the structural integrity of the bridge and increase the load limit by increasing the bridge deck thickness.
• Demolition and restoration of the bridge segments supporting the barriers and associated headstock, deck wearing surface and a tieback assembly located at one end of the bridge.
• Blast cleaning and coating of existing steel beams that support the concrete bridge deck.
• Other minor concrete and repairs to the road surface of the bridge and approaches.

April Update (18 April 2024)

Current status of work:

• Bridge strengthening is now complete. This will restore bridge capacity to support all NHVR approved vehicle combinations within maximum regulatory mass limits.
• Bridge crash barriers have been installed.
• All bridge under-deck work has been completed and the scaffolding is being removed.
• All bridge and road approaches asphalt has been completed.

Remaining work:

• Repairs to concrete wing walls.
• Installation of road approaches crash barriers.
• Erosion protection on road approaches shoulders.
• Application of pavement line marking.
• Installation of road safety signs.
• Demobilise contractor compound.

Expected bridge reopening late May 2024.

Photo #1 Bridge Deck, Photo #2 Pine Creek Bridge with scaffold removed.

January Update (25 January 2023)

Works completed in December and January include:

• New concrete bridge deck poured to restore load rating and widen the bridge by 600mm.
• Concrete bridge kerbing poured to support new bridge barriers.
• Excavation of substandard material from road approaches to improve roadway strength and allow revised road profiles to match the new bridge deck.

Next steps will be to complete new foundations for the bridge approach roadwork, install the new asphalt surface across the bridge and road approaches, install new bridge and approach road barriers, repair concrete bridge abutments and wing walls, blast and paint bridge support beams and reinstate road markings.

Photo #1 – Bridge Approach Excavation, Photo #2 – Bridge Deck and Kerbing

December Update (14 December 2023)

During November, the follow work was completed on the Pine Creek Remediation Project:

• The installation of 992 x M20 x 280 long shear studs connecting the existing concrete deck to the supporting steel beams was completed.
• The installation of 2,350 x N16 x 130 long shear anchors were installed to connect the existing concrete deck to the new concrete deck.  See Photo #1.
• These shear components are required to ensure the existing steel beams and concrete deck deflect as one with the new concrete deck to maximise the overall strength of the composite structure.
• The concrete formwork and reinforcing steel for the new concrete deck has been installed.  See photo #2.
• The pouring of the new concrete deck started 14 December, with the final pour to be completed by 19 December.  See photo #3

Look-Ahead:

• After the Christmas break, the concrete formwork will be removed and the steel bridge barriers will be bolted into place along the kerbing.
• Work will also begin on the re-profiling of the bridge approaches.

Photo #1 – Shear anchors installed in the existing bridge deck, Photo #2 – Installation of new concrete reinforcing steel, Photo #3 – First concrete pour for the new bridge deck

November Update (2 November 2023)

For your information, the following summarises the current status of the remediation work:

• Clarification on Bridge Load Capacity – Once the bridge remediation is complete the current load limits will be removed and all NHVR approved vehicle combinations within maximum regulatory mass limits will be able to use the bridge without a permit.
• The demolition of the existing concrete bridge posts and kerbing has been completed using the wall saw illustrated in Photo #1.
• The formwork for pouring the concrete bridge deck thickening (100mm) and widening (300mm per side) is complete and edge starter bars installed as shown in Photo #2.
• Work is currently under way to install the  >3,000 shear studs and anchors to ensure the concrete slabs (old & new) and the steel support beams work as a single composite structure to support the design loads.  See photo #3.
• Once the shear studs and shear anchors are installed, the reinforcing for the new concrete deck will be installed.
• We are forecasting the pouring of the new concrete bridge deck in early December.

Photo #1 – Wall Saw cutting existing bridge kerbing, Photo #2 - Formwork Installed, Photo #3 – Installation of Shear Studs

October Update

For your information, the following summarises the current status of the remediation work:

• McMahon Services Australia have mobilised to site and set up site facilities and site access control.
• Appila-Laura Road is closed and a detour is in place via Appila-Gladstone Road.
• Appila-Gladstone Road will be maintained by Northern Areas Council for the duration of the project (expected completion by 31 March 2024).
• The pavement has been removed from the bridge deck to allow inspection of the existing concrete – no issues found.
• Scaffolding under the full length of the bridge is complete, allowing under-deck inspections, repairs and the blast and paint of the bridge beams.
• Demolition of the bridge barrier posts, railings and kerbing is under way to allow widening of the bridge deck clearance from 6.4m to 7.0m and restoring bridge capacity to support B-Doubles up to 70t GVM and Triple Road Trains up to 90t GVM.
• Currently preparing the bridge deck to mark out for the installation of 3,000 shear studs and anchors to provide mechanical connections between the existing bridge beams / deck and the new concrete cover.

Photos attached showing the McMahon Services Australia site office, scope of the scaffolding, and the exposed concrete bridge deck.