Birth of a new landmark for Rouse Hill – Sydney Metro rail bridge takes shape
29.05.2017
Both towers on Sydney Metro’s iconic railway bridge are now in place.
The second tower was installed in a precision night-time operation over Windsor Road at Rouse Hill.
“This is the dawn of a new era for the booming North West – there’ll be a new metro train running on this bridge every four minutes in each direction,” Transport and Infrastructure Minister Andrew Constance said.
“This Australian-first bridge is not only a new landmark but also a critical piece of railway infrastructure that allows us to deliver metro services to all of Sydney.”
Two large cranes lifted the 29m tall steel structure into position on the bridge deck.
The 210 tonne tower was then secured to the deck using 56 bolts.
Next, 16 steel cables will be installed from each tower to the bridge deck – a total of 32 cables overall.
The 29m tall steel tower was made in Western Sydney and delivered to Rouse Hill under police escort because of its size – requiring a 55m long, 18-axle truck and trailer combination for the 17km trip.
Similar in design to Sydney’s Anzac Bridge, the iconic structure is an Australian first – a cable-stayed railway bridge built on a curve.
The Windsor Road bridge was a design solution to community feedback which means any future upgrade of the Windsor Road and Schofields Road intersection will not be impacted by the new metro railway.
Sydney Metro services start in the first half of 2019 with a new metro train every four minutes in the peak.