Innovation in Action - The Story of the Kooloonbung Creek Bridge

The Kooloonbung Creek pedestrian bridge, which connects two bustling waterfront areas of our Port Macquarie CBD, is one of the most heavily-used pieces of public infrastructure in our region.

Funded through Federal Governments Regional Communities Initiative and the TCMP special rate levy contributions, this cable-stay bridge system was carefully designed in collaboration between PMHC and the contractor, Fleetwood Urban in 2013. This project proved to be the catalyst for the creation of a new delivery model for Fleetwood Urban - which now shapes every bridge and boardwalk project they deliver.

As an essential part of our plans to activate this iconic foreshore, our primary objective was connectivity. We wanted to provide pedestrians with an easy and safe way to cross Kooloonbung Creek adjacent to Buller Street - while also creating a true visual experience. It also needed to be constructed in a way that preserved the sensitive local ecology.

It didn’t come without it’s challenges - as we worked to deliver the bridge with minimal disruptions to the community.?

We sat down with PMHC’s Senior Transport and Road Asset Engineer Peter Jenkins , who worked on this project - and Fleetwood Urban Director, Ian Joyce , to discuss how they brought this bridge to life.

The Challenge

One of the greatest challenges for this project was the location, says Peter.?

“We needed to build this significant piece of infrastructure in a busy thoroughfare, next to a bridge that provides a key connection between the CBD and the Westport area.”

“Our key priority was to limit any inconvenience to the community. This meant construction phases need to be carefully planned, both on and off site.”

Tidal control strategies were also implemented, to take the long-term effects of the environment on the integrity of the new structure into account.

Ian sites the usage of the bridge as another factor.

“The Kooloonbung Creek Bridge is utilised year round, in high volume. 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.”

Meanwhile, this area is home to rare native fauna and flora, making this 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.

And of course, the challenge for every project is navigating all the surprises along the way to ensure it’s delivered ‘on time, on budget.’?

“This project was a total cost of $1.2 million and was delivered in just over four months,” says Peter.

“The relocation of power services underground in the early stages of the project threatened to delay the start date! We worked with Essential Energy and local electrical contractors - as well as our own internal teams, to get this work done as quickly as possible.”

The Solution

After exploring several options with Fleetwood Urban, a modified version of their Stirling cable-stay bridge system was developed.

The teams decided the cable stay solution offered the best balance between all design criteria - including cost, constructability, durability and aesthetics. Fleetwood Urban were well placed to deliver this outcome for PMHC.

“The design featured a mild steel substructure, fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) decking, stainless steel fittings, pressure-tested sealed enclosures and a marine-grade paint system on marine grade concrete piles and footings all to withstand the harsh coastal conditions,” says Ian.

“The mild steel superstructure was pre-fabricated and painted in Fleetwood’s workshops and delivered to the site partially assembled, to minimise on-site disruptions.”

Peter says completing the bulk of the work offsite was a great move and minimised the onsite construction period and inconvenience to the public.

“The bridge is a critical link between the town centre and foreshore towards Westport park - we needed to do everything we could to keep things business as usual, for as long as we could.”

“It did also mean we ended up having one very busy week on site towards the end of the project to take the delivery - and position the major bridge elements!”

“Foundation works were completed on the foreshore. We then used multiple cranes to position the entire superstructure, including the main tower and cable stays on the footings. This was put together all in one night, would you believe. Literally all in a day’s work!”

“It was pretty incredible to see it all coming together that night - months of work and planning all leading to that big moment.”

The Result?

Peter says the feedback from the community was - and continues to be - incredibly positive.

“We now have a visually appealing bridge, that provides a safe and seamless passage for both cyclists and pedestrians across Kooloonbung Creek.”

“It has become a local icon - when you look at pictures of huge events, like the Ironman and concerts at Westport Park, it is always a lovely feature.”

“It encourages greater exploration of our coastline, allowing tourists, runners and cyclists to explore the foreshore more easily - and most importantly, safely.”

“Looking back, the Kooloonbung Creek bridge was a watershed project for Fleetwood in more ways than one,” reflects Ian.?

“Beyond being a vital new piece of community infrastructure, it was also the catalyst for the creation of a proprietary and highly collaborative delivery model that we continue to use today – it shapes every bridge and boardwalk we deliver.”

Peter believes the collaborative approach ensured the success of the project.

“From Fleetwood and our engineering partners - through to the incredible local contractors - everyone knew their roles and responsibilities and worked hard to deliver a great result for the community.”