- Published:
- Sunday 15 January 2017
Works to remove the notorious Swan Street Bridge bottleneck will be underway within months, with Seymour Whyte Constructions announced today as the successful tenderer for the project.
Acting Premier James Merlino and Acting Minister for Roads and Road Safety Philip Dalidakis announced the $30 million Swan Street Bridge Upgrade that will slash travel times, improve reliability and increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
The upgrade will include:
- An additional lane in the eastbound direction on Swan Street Bridge and Olympic Boulevard – becoming five traffic lanes
- Two new four metre-wide separated pedestrian and cycling paths on both sides of the Bridge
- A new pedestrian crossing on the Alexandra Avenue side of the Bridge
The community has played an important part in designing the facelift with people invited to share their stories and help design the bridge.
The design draws inspiration from Melbourne’s iconic Arts Centre and the rowers who regularly make their way up and down the Yarra River.
While retaining its iconic arched shape the new design will have a ‘wave-like’ appearance, with fins on the sides of the bridge mimicking how oars look when cutting through the water.
Architectural feature lighting will also light up Swan Street Bridge at night, illuminating the bridge as drivers make their way into the sporting precinct.
Linking the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sidney Myer Music Bowl and Shrine of Remembrance with Rod Laver Arena, AAMI Park, Hisense Arena and the MCG, the Swan Street Bridge is the gateway to Melbourne’s sports and entertainment precinct.
The project will reduce travel times by five minutes for more than 30,000 vehicles that use it every day.
Works on the upgrade will start following the Moomba Festival and will be completed by the end of 2017.
Quotes attributable to Acting Premier James Merlino
“We’re putting people first by removing this notorious bottleneck by adding an extra lane for drivers heading across to Richmond.”
“Travelling to and from the Australian Open next year, the upgraded Swan Street Bridge will provide motorists and pedestrians with a seamless journey to the sports and entertainment precinct.”
Quotes attributable to the Acting Minister for Roads and Road Safety Philip Dalidakis
“Upgrading the Swan Street Bridge will make the journey faster, more reliable and safer for all motorists.”
“Every Victorian knows the frustration of sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Swan Street Bridge and we’re getting on with fixing it.”