📋 Tender Overview
A new pedestrian bridge to cross the equivalent of eight lanes of highway in Coffs Harbour is starting to take shape.
The new bridge, on the northern approaches to the city, is part of the Coffs Harbour bypass project and will replace the existing Luke Bowen pedestrian bridge.
It, too, will carry the Luke Bowen name in honour of local Kororo School student, Luke Bowen.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said the new bridge would accommodate four lanes for the Pacific Highway and two lanes each for two local roads being built to the east and west of the highway.
“This bridge will provide safe access for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the highway and will link directly with a new bus interchange being built just south of Kororo Public School,” the spokesperson said.
“It will be the first part of the bypass to be fully operational for its ultimate use, and is expected to open early next year.
“As the only steel truss bridge being built for the bypass, it has been designed to look like a sculpture, with mesh panels providing safety and a view across all lanes of the highway.
“It will be a landmark structure, contributing to the gateway experience for highway users entering the city from the north.
“The new bridge will keep the ‘Luke Bowen’ name, while the existing bridge will be demolished as it is not long enough to span the required eight lanes of traffic.”
To accommodate work on the approach spans, changed traffic arrangements will be in place from Friday 4 October to Sunday 20 October.
Work on the approach spans has started on the eastern and western sides of the highway, with the main span crossing the highway to be lifted into place toward the middle of next month.
A program to educate bridge users on how to access the new bridge will be run before the existing bridge is demolished.
The contract for demolishing the existing footbridge has been awarded to Major Projects Group, a Certified Social Enterprise supporting critical environmental initiatives including removing marine pollution caused by World War II shipwrecks.
