Kooloonbung Creek Cycleway
“Delivering safe, seamless and iconic new infrastructure for Port Macquarie”
Client
Port Macquarie–Hastings Council
Completed
2015
State
NSW
Scope of Work
Deliver, Detail
Pillar
Access
Executive Summary
Port Macquarie is a popular tourist town on the mid-north coast of NSW. As part of the master plan for its iconic foreshore, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council appointed Fleetwood Urban to help design and install a new pedestrian/cycleway bridge that was both beautiful and ecologically sensitive.
Fleetwood Involvement
Guided by our 4-stage DesignExecute2™ process, we designed the bridge while working closely with the bridge engineers and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council at every stage, beginning with Discovery and Development sessions as part of our original bid before transitioning into the Detail phase to refine the concept in preparation for construction. Entering the final Delivery stage, the mild steel superstructure was fabricated and painted in our workshops to minimise on-site disruptions. At the same time, pilings and footings were constructed on the foreshore. We then used multiple cranes to position the entire superstructure on the foundations in one night. Stainless steel fittings and pressure-tested sealed enclosures were also specified to provide extra protection from the coastal conditions. Pre-assembly of five sections took place on-site including the installation of the Fibre Reinforced Plastic decking (micromesh). Once the components were assembled the tower, featuring unnoticeable jointing, was erected. The completed decks were then inserted and the support cables attached. Stainless steel handrails, wiring and lighting were installed to complete the project.
More Project Information
The design challenge was to create a visually appealing bridge that would provide a safe and seamless passage for both cyclists and pedestrians across Kooloonbung Creek, while minimising any environmental impacts. After careful consideration and exploring several options with the Council’s design partners, a cable-stay design was agreed and engineering work began.
A key priority during the project was to limit any inconvenience to existing infrastructure users and the Port Macquarie township in general. This necessitated a combination of carefully planned construction phases, on-site and off-site. Tidal control strategies were necessary and sympathetic to the long-term effects of the environment on the integrity of the new structure.
Kooloonbung Creek was a key catalyst for the creation of Fleetwood’s innovative DesignExecute2™ delivery model – a model that now shapes every project we undertake. The way it allowed our team to seamlessly integrate the Discover, Develop, Detail and Delivery phases of the project is what actually won us the job – not to mention many more since.
- Stainless steel fittings and pressure-tested sealed enclosures
- Streamlined CHS bridge girders
- CHS tower
- FRP micromesh
- Stainless steel
- Mild steel
- Marine grade paint system
- Stirling™ bridge
Kooloonbung Bridge experiences high volume, year-round usage. To ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists at all times, and in all weather conditions, we specified a high durability, high grip decking, with the balustrade designed to reduce climbability.
Home to rare native fauna and flora, the Port Macquarie foreshore is an ecologically sensitive environment. Protecting it was a key factor in almost every facet of the project, from the choice of design and construction techniques to the materials and finishes specified.
As a key piece of free public infrastructure, the Kooloonbung Bridge helps to connect local families and visitors to the Port Macquarie community together every day.
With seamless access from the region’s existing parks and public infrastructure, Kooloonbung Bridge now allows walkers, joggers and cyclists to explore the Port Macquarie foreshore more easily, and safely, than ever before.
