Fleetwood - Stonehill Estate, Bacchus Marsh

At 54 metres long, over 18 metres high and being suspended over a gorge, this shared cycle bridge with its striking red towers is an outstanding feature in the landscape.

Fleetwood worked with Spiire using our DesignExecute™ approach to achieve a successful outcome throughout the entire process. With no third party involved, together we had direct control over the end product.

Dividing the site was a gorge almost 60 metres wide and 18 metres deep formed by the Werribee River. This presented challenges for pedestrian connectivity and for the installation of the sewer main infrastructure.

DesignExecute2™ Process at Stonehill Estate, Bacchus Marsh

01 Discover

02 Develop

03 Detail

04 Deliver

⁰¹ Discover

Matt York, Spiire’s Principal Landscape Architect, saw the opportunity to solve two problems so asked Fleetwood to adapt our Stirling™ cable stayed bridge so it could also carry a sewer line.

⁰²Develop

Designed to enable the local community to cross the Werribee River and head for direct access to the Stonehill neighbourhood activity centre, the bridge perfectly fulfilled the designer’s desire for simple and easy pedestrian connectivity.

The bridge also cleverly concealed a sewer pipe from one side of the embankment to the other, providing both a practical amenity and attractive infrastructure.

⁰³Detail

Our team controlled the design, construction and manufacturing aspects of the project, making for a streamlined process right up to the final installation. By using Fleetwood’s specialist knowledge and a tried and true technology, we were able to make the complex simple and create the bridge that the designer envisaged.

⁰⁴Deliver

The bridge consists of a galvanised steel superstructure, fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) decking, painted towers and galvanised steel cables. The main concrete piers were drilled and poured using a 45-tonne piling rig. Four large abutments were also poured on site.

The Solution

Perfect co-location of pedestrian infrastructure and sewer services. An elegant cable stayed bridge that fits the sewer main neatly in immediately under the deck – almost hidden from view.

In this image, you can see the pipe that was located immediately below the deck and slung from the bridge superstructure. This required careful engineering and integration, which also involved the input of the water services in order to achieve the correct tolerances and falls. Ultimately this bridge ticked all the boxes; not only does it get people easily and safely over the ravine, the pipe infrastructure is incorporated without being unsightly.

This beautiful mix of galvanised steel, stainless steel, micaeceous iron oxide, ‘Lipstick’ red columns and dark grey fibreglass decking makes for a very attractive and distinctive bridge.

Working with Fleetwood Urban has been about confidence on this project. This has certainly been a major component of Stonehill and a major component of our landscape vision for the project. As a landscape architect, it’s key for me to be able to collaborate with specialists such as Fleetwood, to deliver the visions we have from project inception and ensure that what I’m thinking as a designer can actually be achieved on the ground.

Matt York Principal Landscape Architect, Spiire

A very discreetly designed balustrade with no apparent structural balustrade posts. The posts incorporate additional balusters that gives the appearance of there being no breaks in the balustrade length.