Every job presents its challenges. But our recently-completed bridge and boardwalk project for Greater Shepparton City Council in north-eastern Victoria will certainly take some topping.

A tricky brief made even trickier.

The initial brief was far from straightforward due to the sheer size and sensitive location of the main structure – a 55-metre single-span suspension bridge in the heart of the Australian Botanic Gardens in Shepparton. Raising the stakes even further, the elements also conspired against almost from the day we set foot on site.



“We had treacherous weather, unstable soil, rising rivers, Covid-19 restrictions and even a magnitude 6.0 earthquake during the installation!” reflects Fleetwood Project Manager, Travis Lane. “Mother Nature certainly threw us some curve balls, but we worked our way through them all and delivered a great community outcome that was very close to the Council’s original vision. That’s the confidence of partnering with such an experienced team like we have at Fleetwood.

Whatever happens along the way, you know we’ll still deliver.”

About the project.

Set amongst a 22.5-hectare natural bushland setting, Australian Botanic Gardens is a major regional tourist destination in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley alive with native flora and fauna. Following an open tender in mid-2020, Greater Shepparton City Council appointed Fleetwood as lead contractor to design and deliver a custom suspension bridge across the Broken River, supported by a series of boardwalks and approaches connecting the Botanic Gardens directly to the Shepparton town centre.

Fleetwood’s involvement spanned everything from early site investigations and geo-tech studies, to design, shop detailing, manufacturing, pre-assembly and the all-important installation stage which was hugely complex given the difficult site conditions (and earthquake!). We were also responsible for managing approvals with the local water authority.

The new suspension bridge was completed in December 2021 with the full project opening to the Shepparton community in January 2022.

Read the full project profile here.

Fleetwood Urban offers a proven range of solutions for custom and off-the-shelf bridge and boardwalk projects.

Contact us today to discuss your options.

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