West Gate Distributor – Shepherds Bridge

Creating

sustainable

links

between

Melbourne’s

CBD

and

the

Western

Suburbs

SMEC delivered a critical link from Melbourne’s CBD to the Western Suburbs when working on the West Gate Distributor – Shepherds Bridge. SMEC’s specialist team of engineers designed and built a new pedestrian bridge, that reduced the traffic load on the bridge and resolved the complex surrounding brownfield environment.

The West Gate Distributor – Shepard Bridge acts as a critical link for daily road commuters, whether that be motorcyclists, truck drivers, cyclists, or walkers, as the connecting link from Melbourne’s CBD to the West Suburbs. Shepherds Bridge is currently used by more than 40,000 vehicles per day (including 8,000 trucks) and is a critical freight link to the Port of Melbourne. The bridge also forms part of the only off-road bicycle trail between Melbourne’s Central Business District and the western suburbs, attracting more than 1,000 cyclists daily. The Melbourne City Council faced challenges concerning the complex surrounding brownfield environment and the extremely high volume of heavy truck movement everyday.

Client

City of Melbourne

Year

2016 – 2016

Location

Australia

Expertise

Bridges Landscape Architecture Civil & Structural Engineering

40000

vehicles per day use Shepherds Bridge (including, 8000 trucks)

1000

Shepherds bridge attracts 1,000 cyclists daily

190

long bridge

Structural and geotechnical design

In order to overcome the challenges faced by the Melbourne City Council, SMEC assisted in managing the brownfield by enhancing the surrounding streetscape, with the inclusion of tall native trees being planted. SMEC incorporated the structural and geotechnical design of the new pedestrian bridge to improve safety measures for on-foot and cyclists’ daily commute, as a way of dealing with heavy loads of traffic passing through.

Newly designed and constructed pedestrian bridge

SMEC has had a positive impact when working on the West Gate Distributor – Shepherds Bridge as SMEC’s specialist team of engineers designed and built a new pedestrian bridge, linking Melbourne’s CBD to the Western Suburbs.

SMEC had a significant impact on the Shepherds Bridge construction as the project outcomes entailed the widening of the existing Shepherds Bridge crossing the Maribyrnong River from four to six lanes, the construction of a new 190 m long bridge dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists, the conversion of Moreland Street into a four-lane divided road and enhancing the natural environment to improve the commuter experience. SMEC’s specific scope of work included:

Design of strengthening works on the existing road bridge
Structural and geotechnical design of the new pedestrian bridge
Design of road, civil, and drainage works
Geotechnical engineering services
Landscape design to deliver enhanced streetscape and road reserves

Each of the considered features of the project worked in cohesion to form beneficial outcomes such as improved travel for local traffic, pedestrians, and cyclists and better access to and from the Port of Melbourne.