The Bolte Bridge is a high level major balanced cantilever reinforced concrete bridge crossing the Yarra River, in the Docklands area. The bridge features striking twin 140m high architectural towers.
A vital section of the Melbourne City link project, the Bolte Bridge was constructed by the balanced cantilever method with construction of the cast insitu post tensioned superstructure proceeding section by section in each direction from the main piers. The formwork travellers were custom designed and built for the project.
One of the early challenges was construction of the foundations and substructure for the central pier sited in the middle of the river. Due to poor soil foundations, an alternative design was developed using steel piles that gave major cost savings, eliminated design/construction risks and set a precedent for future piled bridge foundations in Melbourne.
