Lend Lease Engineering, AFVJ Acciona Ferrovial JV and Rizzani De Eccher Australia have been invited to submit detailed tenders for the bridge which forms part of the Woolgoolga to Ballina section of the US$4.2 billion Pacific Highway upgrade.
“Improving the efficiency of the Pacific Highway is vital to national productivity as this route carries three-quarters of all freight traffic between Brisbane and Sydney,” said deputy prime minister Warren Truss.
Federal member for Cowper Luke Hartsuyker added: “The new bridge will be the longest of 40 bridges to be built as part of the Woolgoolga to Ballina upgrade. It must be aesthetically pleasing, meet all safety requirements, include flood mitigation measures and provide a 30m navigational clearance for marine traffic.”
Seven businesses had registered interest in building the new four-lane Clarence River bridge at Harwood, which will be approximately 1.3km long. It will replace a lift bridge that opened in 1966.
“Once the tenders are received, Roads and Maritime in partnership with its delivery partner Pacific Complete will assess the proposals," said NSW minister for roads, maritime and freight Duncan Gay. Work on the new crossing is expected to start in 2016.
