A new Murray River crossing - between Victoria and New South Wales - is one stage closer to completion as the contract to deliver Stage 3 of the $323.7 million Echuca-Moama Bridge Project is awarded to McConnell Dowell Constructors (Australia) Pty Ltd.
The third stage will include:
“The new bridge will have a single lane in each direction, meeting traffic demands for at least 30 years - but beyond that, the design will allow for additional lanes to be added in the future.
“The new crossing for the Campaspe and Murray rivers will also provide economic and travel benefits right across the region and is estimated to provide direct employment for up to 240 people,” Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said.
According to Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan, this stage is the vital link of the multi-million dollar project that will help boost the cross-border economy for the regions of Echuca and Moama once the bridge is completed.
“The new bridge will give drivers an alternative to the existing bridge, which transports around 25,000 vehicles a day - including 1,500 trucks and heavy vehicles, helping to reduce congestion and improve industry productivity.
“The second crossing is expected to reduce this figure by around 40%, which means around 10,000 less vehicles each day driving on local roads over the coming years,” Ms Allan said.
Construction on Stage 3 is expected to commence in early 2020 and completed by 2022.
The 4-stage Echuca-Moama Bridge Project is jointly funded by the Australia, Victorian and New South Wales governments. The first three stages of the project is being delivered by Major Road Projects Victoria, while the fourth and last stage is going to be delivered by NSW Roads and Maritime Services.
Over the coming weeks, the contractor for Stage 4 is set to be announced.
“As part of Stage 4, the NSW Government will be upgrading the Cobb Highway intersections of Meninya Street and Perricoota Road, with work to take place concurrently with the building of the new bridge,” NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Road Paul Toole said.
Get the latest industry news and project updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to Felix Project News today.
Source: Premier of Victoria; Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development; Major Road Project Victoria (1, 2); Victoria’s Big Build; Roads and Maritime Services