Bridges
- Publication no: ABC2025-166-25
- Published: 27 June 2025
- PDF (free) Download
Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) owns and operates roads of state and national significance. The Far North District (FND) is an office of TMR that encapsulates the tropical north of Queensland from Cassowary Coast in the south, Torres Straight Island in the north, and Croydon in the west, covering over 3,000 km of state road network.
In 2020, TMR identified significant structural deficiencies on the Barron River bridge in Kuranda due to use of what is now referred to as 'brittle steel' during the 1960s construction. This bridge forms a critical link on the Kennedy Highway (Cairns to Mareeba).
An initial investigation was undertaken to understand the risks present associated with the structure and its operational loading. This period involved significant load restrictions and traffic management on a major regional link.
After initial inspections, two truths became evident:
1. The bridge had critical structural integrity flaws and would need either significant upgrades or replacement in the near term.
2. Continued monitoring, inspections, and rehabilitation were required for the ongoing safe operation of the bridge while the planning and development of a major upgrade project could be undertaken.
The Planning project and the Structural Risk Management project were set up and initially ran parallel and independently with each other. FND leadership quickly identified the need for these projects to collaborate, share resources, program changes, methodologies, and limitations.
The Planning project had expertise in long-term needs for the link and community including freight demands, lane widths and active transport provisions. The Structural Risk Management project on the other hand had expertise on specific structural limitations including elements that could be reused, and the need to accelerate a long-term solution.
This paper will cover the complexities of managing and delivering two projects on one structure as a collaboration effort. The paper will share the challenges, the opportunities and the learnings.