Bridges

This paper provides a general description of the background, planning and assessment of the Maribyrnong River Bridges (also known as E. J. Whitten Bridge) located over the Maribyrnong River as part of the corridor wide M80 Ring Road Upgrade. The Maribyrnong River Bridges are the second highest road bridges in Victoria with lengths of 520 metres and heights of 50 metres above the valley floor.

The existing twin bridges were constructed in the early 1990s as part of the original Western Ring Road Project; this included the provision for future widening through the centre by way of a portal frame that will connect the existing twin parallel piers using a series of new substructure crossheads supporting the new superstructure elements.

The paper will address significant features of the Maribyrnong River Bridges upgrade associated with the planning, assessment, and Contract Award of the Project. These features include:

• the challenges in planning and design conceptualization
• consideration and input from various disciplines and stakeholders
• emphasis on a higher level of expectations pertaining to safety, traffic, and community impact;
• greater consideration for a Whole of Life approach.