Over the years, McElligotts has worked extensively on bridge remediation projects in every corner of Australia. Bridges are some of the largest infrastructure projects in this country and are often an iconic landmark of their city, town, or local region. They span rivers, roads, and canyons and bare the weight of hundreds – if not thousands – of vehicles and pedestrians each day.
It is no surprise that bridges need remedial work conducted on them after a period of time. The McElligotts team has extensive experience providing restoration services to Australian bridges of all shapes and sizes. Because of their height and suspended nature, bridge projects can be some of the most remote and hard to access out of all the structures that we work on.
While we have worked on numerous bridge projects over the years, here are some highlights from the past few years.
Westgate Bridge
Where better to start than with one of our biggest bridge projects to date? The Westgate Bridge is a staggering achievement in civil engineering, stretching 2.5km in length and standing 50m above the Yarra River at its highest point.
Our work was for CPB Contractors on behalf of VicRoads/Department of Transport and involved our team abrasive blasting and repainting the bridge’s steel underside. Our work totalled 55,000 square metres of steel which was repainted using a four-coat solution from Dulux Protective Coatings.
The 35 McElligotts team members who worked on this project did this work while suspended under the bridge on moveable platforms, having to endure heights, high winds and low temperatures.
Tullaroop Spillway Bridge
The Tullaroop Spillway Bridge is located at the north of the Tullaroop Reservoir and regulates the water flowing from Tullaroop Creek. Between February and May 2021, the McElligotts team were tasked blasting and repainting the bridge’s steel beams located underneath the bridge deck.
To conduct the work, our team had to erect scaffolding underneath the bridge to access all the necessary parts of the structure along with a full containment to capture all the old red lead paint which was blasted clean from the steel beams during the removal process. Once our work was finished, we had to undertake an extensive clean-up of the contaminated lead paint waste within the containment so that it wouldn’t negatively affect the surrounding environment.
Echuca-Moama Bridge Project
Back in 2020, McElligotts had the pleasure of providing blasting and coating services to the ongoing Echuca-Moama Bridge project, which is expected to be finished in mid-2022. This project highlights the importance of bridges- in this case, providing a secondary link between the Victorian town of Echuca and the NSW town of Moama across the Murray River.
Our work involved abrasive blasting and applying protective coatings to the steel sections of the bridge. We used a three-coat solution to achieve maximum protection – epoxy zinc, high build epoxy, and polyurethane.
Bridge of Remembrance
Most bridges serve a practical purpose of linking two previously inaccessible points together, while others serve a more symbolic purpose. The Bridge of Remembrance in Hobart is more the latter – a striking piece of architecture that links the Cenotaph to Soldier’s Memorial Avenue and allows pedestrians the chance to reflect on those who have fought for this country while they make the walk.
Our contribution to this project involved providing the protective coatings for all the main structural steel.
Get in Touch
Bridges are significant pieces of architecture, and there’s a strong chance that each of us cross at least one every single day. At McElligotts, we pride ourselves in delivering high quality remediation work to some of Australia’s most striking bridges, so they can continue standing for years to come. If you wish to engage with any of our services, then contact us today.