section of the Hawkerhury River to Mount While Toll \\'ay .I U S E I 9 6 6 Life is a matter of

Ninety Miles of Bridge The New Roseville Bridgc , , ...... 98 Construction of Expressways in .. ._ 105 Tourist Roads-To Burrinjuck Dam and to West Head .... 107 Techniques of Modern Road Construction ...... ,. 110 Warringah Expressway ...... ,. 114 Royal Easter Show, 1966 ...... 116 Nepean River Bridges near Penrith ...... , 117 Harbour Bridge Account , ...... 120 General Aspects of Expressway Lighting ...... I21 Main Roads Fund ...... 123 Three New Country Bridges ...... 124 Tenders Accepted by Department of Main Roads ...... 127 Tenders Accepted by Councils ...... _. 128 Main Roads Standard Specifications .. . . Inside hack cover

COVER SHEET An aerial view of the new Roseville Bridge. The overpass at Mslga Avenue is in the foremound MAIN ROADS

JUNE 1966 Ninety Miles of Bridges

Major bridges have recently been cornpletcd over the Orara River near Grafton, the Great Ana Branch of the Darling River near Wentworth, the Murray River at Barmah and at Roseville, adding further links in the chain of modern bridges over the State’s harbour and river JOURNAL or THE systems. DEPARTMtNT OF MAIN ROADS The extent of these great waterways and the enormous task of adequately bridging them can be gauged by the fact that there are approximately 500,000 NEW SOUTH WALES feet or about 90 miles of bridges on Main Roads in New South Wales. New South Wales, measuring an average 650 miles from east to west and 500 miles from north to south is three times the size of Victoria and about twice the size of the State of California, one of the largest of the United States of America. Broadly, the topography of New South Wales comprises four belts of Issued quarterlv by (he dis-similar country each running roughly parallel to the coast. There is Commissioner for Main Roads, the coastal fringe, a region of rupged hill country interspersed with fertile plains and river flats, next comes a belt of tablelands beyond which are the J. A. L. Shaw, C.B.E., D.S.O., BE. slopes and finally the vast inland plains which occupy one half of the State. Throughout the whole there is a complex system of rivers and streams. Rivers that rise on the eastern side of the tablelands flow to the sea and are subject to tidal influence. Those that rise on the western slopes flow across the inland plains merging into the great Murray-Darling river system. In the early days of the colony the most favoured method of transport was by water. It was the cheapest and swiftest. As a result the colonists travelled as far as possible by water. Small community settlements, which subsequently grew into country towns developed on coastal and inland rivers and travel was by road only when it could not be made by water and the only movement overland was on foot and with drays and waggons. Additional copies of this journal may be The earliest roads were generally connections between one river system obtained from or community and another. In the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early part of the Department of Main Roads twentieth century, the Public Works Department, the authority then responsible for roads, embarked upon a considerable programme of building 309 Castlereagh Street bridges and provision of ferries at river crossings. These bridges were designed to meet the needs of traffic at the time but completely inadequate Sydney, New South Wales for present day traffic. In post war years, the Department of Main Roads has followed a vigorous policy of replacing these narrow bridges and ferries. Approximately 120 bridges are being built each year, many of which eliminate the old structures that have outlived their usefulness. The great waterway system of the State demands a very high price in providing communications. This is particularly significant in the Sydney Metropolitan area. Sydney can be justifiably proud of its beautiful harbour with its inlets and rivrrs providing a near perfect setting for a city and its PRlCS environs. Many cities of world renown have spent fortunes in artificially Thirty Cents providing the beauty with which our State capital is naturally endowed. However the price to be paid for this natural asset is enormous. With ever-increasing population and traffic volumes, these waterways have to be crossed to provide road communication between city and suburbs and between city and country-and bridges are very expensive items digging deeply into financial resources. ANNUAL SUHSCRIPTION Apart from all the bridges which have already been built, either as new One Dollar Twenty Ccnts crossings or in replacement of old crossings, many more have yet to be built. De Burgh’s Bridge over the Cove River is being replaced, a Povt Free new crossing is now under construction over the Parramatta River at Camellia, a new bridge over George’s River at Alfords Point is planned, another major bridge is planned to carry the Warringah Expressway over Middle Harbour, twins to bridges at Iron Cove, Ryde and Tom Ugly’s Point will be required. More crossings of the Parramatta, Georges and Lane Cove Rivers and their tributaries will no doubt be required with the continuing expansion of the population to outer suburbs. Editors are invited to use any information contained in this Journal, And this tremendous programme for bridge building is repeated through- unless specially indicated out the length and breadth of the State. to the contrary; Notwithstanding all this, the less glamorous but no less essential road- black and white photographs will be made works to provide connections between these vital crossings must be provided available on request at the same time C 14280-2 The New 3oseville Bridge

PLAN ROSEVILLE BRIDGE

The Premier of New South Wales, the Hon. R. W.Askin, M.L.A., ojicially opened the new Roseville Bridge over Middle Harbour on Saturday, 2nd April, 1966.

ITH the opening to traffic of the new bridge and vehicular traffic, three in each direction, a median, and W its approach roads, a new era in travelling con- a footway, six feet wide, on the upstream side. ditions is provided for motorists using the new facilities. Gone are the frustrating delays previously experienced The bridge is founded on sandstone or good quality on the old narrow bridge and the steep winding approach shale, partly by means of spread footings and partly by on the Roseville side. Instead motorists travel over the bored piles. The six river piers are each set on nine approaches and across the new bridge on a wide sweeping bored piles of 33 inches diameter drilled six feet into curve. sound rock. The other piers and the two abutments are set directly into the solid rock. The bored piles were constructed by driving steel casings to the surface of the NEW BRlDGE rock, excavating the soft material and then drilling the THE appropriate distance into the rock. The length of the longest pile is 94 feet. After placing a steel reinforce- Engineers of the Department of Main Roads designed ment cage the piles were concreted using the intrusion- the new bridge which incorporates the most modern grouting process, which involves filling the steel casing practices of prestressed concrete construction, taking with 2+ in. to 1% in. shortgraded blue metal and then advantage, architecturally, of a particularly scenic pumping in a cement grout with appropriate admixtures location. The slim superstructure stands high above to fill the voids. The pile caps have been formed inside the water and blends artistically with the steep slopes of precast skirting units which mask the piles to below the the harbour foreshores. level of the lowest tide. For both architectural and practical reasons, the skirting units and tops of pile caps The entire length of the bridge, 1,229 feet on the road are of dark concrete. Spread footings are set generally centreline, is situated on an under vertical curve, 1,600 a minimum of one foot into sound rock. feet long, between approach grades of 10 per cent on the southern (Roseville) shore and 4.2 per cent on the The piers are formed of three slender columns, the immediate northern (Forestville) shore. The deck is longest (at Pier 4) being 75 feet. In the case of the first 78 feet wide overall accommodating six for three piers from each end the columns were cast in place I

while columns in the other eight piers consist of pre- cast box-shaped units. The precast boxes are secured in each column by fourteen high tensile steel bars I& in. diameter. Each bar is anchored with a force of 55 tons. The column boxes were made by the contractor in a casting yard established upstream from the bridge site. After erection the boxes wcre filled with concrete. The columns are set separately on footings into the rock or (in the case of piers and piles) are attached to the pile caps. Conventional abutments have not been used for architectural reasons. At both ends the bridge termin- ates on a retaining wall running gencrally along a contour. On the Roseville end the wall is tied back by counterforts to an anchor beam set under the filling about 24 feet back from the abutment facc. On the Forestville side the wall. is tied to the rock by 26 high tcnsile steel bars 4 in. diameter. Each bar is anchored with a force of 27 tons. The superstructure essentially is a slab formed by prestressed post-tensioned beams resting directly on top of the columns. It is fixed at each abutment and on every pier while expansion is prodded for at a single point in the centre span. The beams have an 1 section and are cantilevered over the piers except in the centre span. Here the beams are suspended off the cantilevered ends of the beams in the adjoining spans. Expansion bearings of stainless steel are located at one end of the suspended span. Except at that point rocker bearings of mild steel are set on the stepped end blocks of the cantilevered beams and are grouted integral with the end blocks after erection. The fixed rocker bearings at piers also are groutcd integral with the concrete, but at the abutments are free to rock. The beams are con- nected transversely by steel reinforcement projecting from the flanges into concrete poured directly into the ROSEVILLE BRIDGE eighteen inches wide gap between them. Over the RIVER PIER DETAIL piers the beams are secured in cross girders of the same depth and in the same plane and these are post-tensioned ROADWORKS with eight tendons each consisting of seven No. 0.60 in. General diameter high tensile steel strands. The jacking force per strand is 21.4 tons. The construction of the approach roads to the new bridge presented some difficulties because of the The spaces between the bottom flanges are filled with proximity of the northern approach to the old bridge, dark concrete. which had to be kept in use and the necessity to restrict disturbance of the surrounding natural areas to a The beams are fashioned from precast segments minimum. In this regard, the Department gave under- shaped to the horizontal curvature of 2,000 feet radius. takings to other Government Departments, Local The segments were assembled on a stressing bed with Government Authorities, Parliamentarians and other spaces of 3 in. between them and set to the profile of the Associations that the limits of the area required for the vertical curve. After concreting the 3 in. gaps the works would be carefully marked out on the ground segments were stressed together with six high tensile and no work would be carried out beyond those limits. steel cables I& in. diameter. The jacking force per cable is 66 tons. The site for the new bridge had to be cleared by the Department. The Department was also obliged to Because of the abutment design the two spans at each prepare an area of about 500 feet by about 80 feet on end are triangular in shape and the superstructure each side of the harbour for occupation by the bridge consists partly of precast beams as for the other spans contractor. and partly of reinforced concrete cast in place. The road furnishings on the deck include crash rails on each Description of work kerb, steel outer fences and lamp posts. On the southern side the approach road merges into the existing carriageway of Babbage Road from The quantities of the principal materials used in the Ormonde Road south to Rowe Street. bridge are:- The re-arrangement of traffic movements at Ormonde Concrete ...... 17,000 tons Road necessitated provision for new access tracks to High tensile steel rod , , .. .. 3 miles the East Roseville Boy Scouts’ Hall and to the Roseville High tensile steel cable ...... 19 miles Chase Oval. High tensile steel strand ...... 9+ miles Steel reinforcement ...... 1,000 tons The overall length of the southern approach from the bridge abutment to the junction with Babbage Road The bridge was built under contract by John Holland just north of Rowe Street is about 2,600 feet and consists (Constructions) Pty Ltd, who also built the Captain of dual carriageways each of three lanes separated by a Cook Bridge over the George’s River. The cost of the concrete median. Bus stopping bays have been provided bridge was approximately $l%m. in the vicinity of Ormonde Road and Malga Avenue just

Placing concrete in piers at night to keep work on schedule

P- J Concrete casting yard with stockpile of precast column boxes

Only one span remains to he completed. Trnttic is using the on and off loading ramps for access to the old bridge

Steel truss used for launching girders Ahove: Work in progress on the rock cutting on the northern approach Left: Work near the northern abutment in January

south of the concrete overpass which has been built deeper levels of hard sandstone rock, only very light across the southern approach to connect these two splitting charges being used. streets. The total cut was approximately 82,000 cu. yd solid Most of the length of the approach has been enclosed measurement, including about 90 per cent sandstone with a modified manproof fcnce to prevent people, rock. particularly children, wandering onto the new road. Preliminary earthworks, to provide the bridge con- The dual carriageway is being extended southwards tractor with a working area, were carried out in June, from the end of the approach by widening Babbage 1964. The main cutting was excavated between January Road to Malvern Avenue and by the widening of 1965 and August 1965. Boundary Street to Penshurst Street. The northern approach, over a distance of 3,800 feet, Northern Approach consists of dual carriageways each three lanes wide Construction of the northern approach presented separated by a concrete median and connects to the local dificulties. The shape of the excavation was existing dual carriageway on Warringah Road near influenced by the nature of the underlying material. Ryrie Avenue which was completed in 1962. Ramps with carriageway widths of 20 feet provide access to and egress from the area on the northern shore adjacent to the old bridge site. TraRic was interrupted as little as possihle during construction of the bridge and approaches The northern shoreline has been relocated out to the Maritime Services Board's limit line of reclamation for a distance of about 1,000 feet from the old bridge upstream and an existing access track to a sand lease area further upstream from the new bridge has been relocated.

Construction-Southern Approach The clearing on the south side in the Municipality of Ku-ring-gai was in sideling cut where the existing natural bushland had a crossfall of about 1 in 3. The southern approach and the bridge site were clear of traffic and existing roads as far south as Ormonde Road. Clearing was relatively straight-forward using Crawler Tractor-Dozers for most of the area. The final few feet were cleared by hand to avoid destruction of the adjacent bushland. Earthworks were carried out by dozing and ripping in the first instance and blasting was confined to the JUNE, 1966 MAIN ROADS 103

~~ ~- ~~~ ~~.~~ ~~

Test cores were taken by diamond drilling to determine Up to 100 men were employed at the one time on the the nature of the rock strata. A batter cutting of a to 1 clearing operation. Track type dozers fitted with was subsequently adopted with benches about five feet hydraulic rippers were employed on the earthworks. wide below a 20-ft depth of shale seam and also above Excavation had to be carried out immediately adjacent this seam in sound rock. The depth of cutting varied to and above the existing road which could not be up to a height of 120 feet. By following this design closed for any substantial period. There was thus a carefully the local bushland was preserved and an real danger from falling stones and spoil. exceptionally deep cutting was avoided. A flattening of the batter would have involved extending the top In order to maintain traffic movements the earthworks line of the cutting into the face of a rugged escarpment could only be commenced from the existing roadside at for a height of approximately another 80 feet. one point, about 1,000 feet north of the new bridge abut- ment. The earthworks on the northern side were complicated A section of steel mesh covered temporary fencing by the need to maintain traffic in Warringah Road progressively constructed ahead of the earthworks was during construction. The natural side slope at the effective in preventing stones and spoil falling onto the approaches was steep, being I+ to 1 and 2 to 1. roadway. As an added precaution traffic was stopped intermittently for periods of up to IO minutes in the Clearing and excavating were confined generally to hour whilst the dozer “opened up” each new section periods outside the morning and evening peak traffic of cut. hours and continued during weekends in the early days to ensure that the site was in readiness for the bridge Earthworks in the vicinity of the northern end of the contractor by October 1964. new bridge intended to provide access and working area for the bridge contractor were commenced late in June, 1964 and the contractor entered into possession of Clearing involved the removal of light scrub and his part of the site in October, 1964. Earthworks were timber up to about 12 in. in diameter. The work had continued in this area and northwards to Ryrie Avenue to be carried out manually using power driven chain until September, 1965. saws. The timber was sawn into suitable lengths for handling and lowered in bundles by ropes into waiting The total cut measured solid was about 163,000 cu. yds lorries at the roadside below. Men working on the of which 95 per cent was in sandstone rock. Surface slopes used safety belts and were ropcd to stumps to material and soft and fissured rock was loosened and prevent them from falling. dozed by heavy tractors fitted with hydraulic rippers, loaded onto trucks using track type loaders and hauled Undertakings given by the Department to preserve via the existing road to fill areas or to other roadwork all possible natural flora were strictly observed. sites.

The work nearing completion Hard rock was loosened by light blasting as it was formation and tinal construction of the upgrade or “on impracticable to risk substantial road closures that loading” ramp. could have resulted from heavier conventional blasting. Traffic in the vicinity of the work was controlled by traffic signals temporarily installed for manual control Before the bridge contractor could commence work during the period August 1964 until June 1965. In on the northern abutments of the bridge, it was necessary addition a public address system was installed for the to construct a temporary two lane pavement through the purpose of informing travellers the nature and duration new cutting and to construct the “OK loading” or down- of interruptions. grade ramp in its final position. This allowed the closure of the existing road and construction of the All earth and stone filled batters have been top- bridge to proceed with minimum interruption of traffic. dressed and seeded with native grasses and planted with This phase of the work was completed by June 1965. a full range of local native flora. The design and layout of these plantings are intended to restore the area as A major crib type retaining wall, 500 feet long and much as possiblc to its former natural beauty. Land- up to 26 feet high was also built on the western side of scaping generally has followed the design prepared by the work which permitted the northbound carriageway Mr D. Maclurcan of Fowell, Mansfield and Maclurcan. to be completed and opened to traffic at the same time. All roadworks were carried out by the Department with its own forces. The last stage of the earthwork in the area occupied The cost of the roadworks, including the overbridge by the bridge contractor was completed in February, at Malga Avenue, was $2.6 million and the whole 1966 and at this stage it was possible to complete the project cost approximately $4.4 million. JUNE, 1966 MAIN ROADS 105

Mileages of Expressways CONSTRUCTION in New South Wales by end of 1970

OF EXPRESSWAYS Worrlngoh Expresswoy from northern end of to Miller Street, Cammeray ...... (14 m.) Sydney Horbour Bridge to Toll Barriers at southern end ...... (I$ m.) -Toll Barriers at southern end of Sydney Harbour Bridge to Sir John Young Crescent ...... (It m.) 4f miles NEW SOUTH WALES Western Distributorfrom Toll Barriers at southern end of Sydney Harbour Bridge to Day Street, near Erskine Street ...... $ mile North Western Expresswoy-- HE road planning proposals by the Department of Tarban Creek- ... (I$ m.) Main Roads for Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong T Druitt Street, Sydney to Bellevue Street, The and between these centres include provision for the Glebe ...... ($ m.) 2$ miles widening of existing Main Roads, the construction of new Main Roads and a system of Expressways. Within Western Expressway-Parramatta South By-Pass the County of Cumberland the Department’s proposals from Vauxhall Inn to Mays Hill ... (I$ m.) call for 150 miles of Expressway of which 87 miles are Penrith Bypass. Bridge over Nepean River within the ring Hornsby-Parramatta-Sutherland. at Regentville and connections to existing Main Roads system ...... (2 m.) 3; miles Beyond the boundaries of the County of Cumberland it is planned that the Expressways radiating out from Eostern Distributor-Subway and approaches Sydney will extend southerly to Wollongong and underWilliam Street, Sydney ...... $ mile Kiama, south-westerly to Mittagong, and northerly to Southern Exprerswoy-Captain Cook bridge and Newcastle. approach on south side to Holt Road ... I mile FEATURES OF EXPRESSWAYS Access Roods to Kingsford Smith Airport:- The two features of Expressways which distinguish Epsom Road to Wentworth Avenue (2 m.) them from ordinary roads for through traffic are full or toWest Botany Street partial control of access from abutting property and (1 m4 1 miles generally at intersections. There can North South Arteriol Rood-Wollongong By-Pass. be a very considerable difference in safety and traffic From Elliotts Road, Fairy Meadow, to Five capacity between an Expressway with partial control of Island Road, Unanderra (4$ m.) including link access from abutting property and grade separation at road to Mount Ousley Road (I m.) ...... 5$ miles some intersections compared with an Expressway with Sydney-Newcastle Expresswoy from North of Mt complete control of all access (denial of access) and Ku-rlng-gai to ... (9 m.) grade separation at all intersections. Hawkesbury River to Calga ...... (9$ m.) 184 miles In the case of Expressways included in the Depart- ment’s planning proposals, there will be complete denial Total : 39 miles of access from abutting property and there will be grade separation of all intersections. In terms of both the publication by the Standards Association of Australia (S.A.A.) “Terms used in Road Engineering” and the publication by the American In Great Britain, Germany and Italy, Expressways Association of State Highway Officials (A.A.S.H.O.) with complete limitation of access and grade separation “Highway Definitions”, the Expressways proposed and of all intersections are called “Motorways“. being built by the Department could qualify for descrip- tion as “Freeways”. The term “Freeway” is a North Because of tollway construction in New South Wales, American expression used far more in the west than in the term “Freeway” is inappropriate and there are the east of the United States, where there are many objections to use of the description “Motorway” toll roads, which in so far as limitation of access and because this has legal significance in New South Wales grade separation is concerned, would qualify for where the term “Motorway” in the Main Roads Act is description as “Freeways”, but because they are toll applied to a Main Road whcrc there is denial of access, roads the word “Freeway” is inappropriate. partly or wholly, from abutting property. For these C 14280-2 ,An illustration of good cxprrssway construction. Section of thc Hawkesbury River-Mount White Tollwork reasons neither the term “Freeway” or “Motorway” funds expected to be available during the IO year period has been applied to the roads in the Department’s 1964-1974 was only $300m to meet needs estimated at planning proposals where complete denial of access $1,116m, or one-third of the amount needed, and of the from abutting property and grade separations at all $1,116m an amount of $730m was required for express- intersections is proposed. Notwithstanding the broad way construction. coverage of the term “Expressway” it has been accepted and used as the term which most suitably describes the roads included in the Department’s planning proposals EXPRESSWAY CONSTRUCTION ALREADY which would be referred to as “Freeways” in the west of COMPLETED AND EXPRESSWAY the United States and as “Motorways” in Europe. CONSTRUCTION TO BE COMMENCED BEFORE 30TH JUNE, 1968 THE NEED FOR EXPRESSWAYS Because of the wide discrepancy between Expressway needs and available funds the Department has not been The needs of the New South Wales Main Roads in a position to undertake the construction of long System by 1974 based on the estimated traffic demand lengths of Expressways, except for the Wahroonga to by that year have been assessed in conjunction with a Calga section of the Sydney to Newcastle Expressway survey made for the National Association of Australian for which special loan finance was arranged. Generally State Road Authorities (N.A.A.S.R.A.) covering the it has been forced to consider which segments of Express- period 1964-1974. As a result of this survey it was ways are of primary importance and in consequence it determined that $1,814m would be required in New South has commenced with the building of major bridges and Wales for expenditure during these 10 years to meet approaches which will form part of the final expressway estimated traffic needs. It was also determined that system. The main examples are the Gladesville-Tarban 163 miles of expressway would be required in New Creek-Figtree complex and the Captain Cook Bridge South Wales at an estimated cost of $780m of which 96 over the mouth of the Georges River. miles at an estimated cost of $730m were in the County of Cumberland. In addition the construction of sections of the Cahill Expressway and the Warringah Expressway in approach The needs survey conducted for N.A.A.S.R.A. also to the Sydney Harbour Bridge have been undertaken as showed that the funds expected to be available for part of the complex of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and expenditure in New South Wales during the 10 year immediate approaches, the cost of this work being met period 1964-1974 were estimated at $1,06Om, compared from Sydney Harbour Bridge toll charges. with a probable outlay to meet these needs of $1,814m. In so far as Expressways were concerned over 90 per The segments of Expressways which it is expected cent of the outlay required to meet estimated needs was will exist by the end of 1970 are indicated in the in the County of Cumberland, where the estimate of accompanying schedule. JUNF. 1966 MAIN ROAD$

~

...TO BURRINJUCK DAM AND TO WEST HEAD

TOURIST ROAD No. 4033 TO BURRINJUCK The park area is about 300 acres, most of which is DAM steep and heavily timbered. HE Burrinjuck Dam and the nearby Burrinjuck Burrinjuck Dam has a storage area extending some T National Park (some three miles upstream from 40 miles along the Murrumbidgee River. Although the dam wall), have for a number of years been an constructed primarily for irrigation purposes, there is attraction to tourists who travel to the area for boating, associated with the dam, a hydro-electric power station water ski-ing and fishing, the dam being well stocked which feeds into the State power supply network. mainly with trout. A cafe and store cater for the needs of the touriqts while holiday cottages, camping and The road to Burrinjuck Dam leaves the caravan facilities, boats and ski launching ramps are about 17 miles west of Yass and runs in a southerly also available. direction for 18.6 miles. It was developed originally by the Water Conservation and Irrigation Commission, the authority responsible for the dam, as an access road during construction and reconstruction of the dam. Goodradigbee Shire Council, by arrangement with the Commission, carried out necessary construction and maintenance on the road between 1940 and 1956. The Commission bore the full cost of the road works except for a nominal contribution by the Council. This arrangement terminated in 1956 when the Council assumed full responsibility for its maintenance. The increasing usage of the road by tourists led Goodradigbee Shire Council to apply to the Department of Main Roads for the road to be proclaimed a Tourist Road. The Department concurred in the Council's submission and the road was subsequently proclaimed a Tourist Road (No. 4033) in July, 1964, the Department thereby agreeing to meet one half of the cost of approved works of construction and maintenance. The road is bitumen surfaced to a width of 16 feet, except on the narrower formation and winding section in the steep country approaching the dam where the bitumen surfacing is 15 feet wide. For the first nine miles from the Hume Highway the terrain is open rolling pasture land and the road alignment and grades are to a moderate standard. From 9 miles to 15 miles the road becomes more winding, ending with a tortuous descent on an easy grade through the steep heavily timbered country to the National Park and village area. The road requires considerable improvement but because of the difficult country any substantial improve- ment in alignment and width of formation, particularly in the steep country, appears at this stage to be impractic- able. The most pressing needs are provision of better visibility and safer passing by widening the sharper curves and by clearing, additional roadside furnishings such as protection fencing, guide posts and signs generally and improvement of the drainage. A programme of improvement along these lines is currently being planned by the Council to extend over several years. TOURIST ROAD No. 4005 TO WEST HEAD This road, prior to recent construction, extended for a length of nine miles from General San Martin Memorial Drive or Coal and Candle Creek Road (Main Road No. 525) to West Head at the tip of Lambert Peninsula. At its northern end and just south of West Head it passes along a ridge known as Commodore Heights. The Lambert Peninsula faces north into Broken Bay at the confluence of Pittwater, Cowan Creek and the Hawkesbury River. The road, which was little more than a track, was in Aholc: the lookout existence and used by traffic prior to 1939 when on the area at West Head outbreak of war the Commodore Heights area was taken over by Commonwealth Defence Authorities and closed to the public. In the early part of the war the Department constructed a gravel road to Commodore Heights on behalf of the Defence Authorities. Until 1945 the Defence Authorities maintained the road for access to military installations at West Head. The area reverted to State control in 1945 and in 1948 was added to the Ku-ring-gai Chase Trust area. A small section of about one square mile had hitherto been held in private ownership. The Ku-ring-gai Chase Trust and the Warringah Shire Council in 1961 applied for the road to be pro- claimed a Tourist Road. While the road did not lead to an established tourist centre, it provided access to an isolated natural feature of significant tourist interest and splendid scenic views. Of the existing track, about three miles were of gravelled surface in reasonable condition, although only ten to twelve feet wide, while the remainder was intermittently Below: Sections of cut by heavy water scours with outcrops of rock and the road lollowing severe erosion. The track could only be safely traversed initial work by four-wheel drive vehicles. Only one water crossing, Salvation Creek, required sizable culvert construction. The area is rich in native flora and the Trust considered that it would further the advancement of scientific know- ledge and the study of samples of the Sydney botanical environment under natural conditions. The road was proclaimed Tourist Road No. 4005 in October, 1961. The Department proposed to construct the new Tourist Road in stages and initial work was designed to make the existing track reasonably trafficable by Christmas 1961. This was done by grading to provide 12 feet to 18 feet formation on the better sections and to 12 feet on the rough sections. Passing bays were provided at suitable points and roadside clearing was kept to a minimum. Minor culverts were also con- structed where necessary. The public made considerable use of the road during the summer of 1962-63. The next stage of the work put in hand included widening of the crossing of Salvation Creek, about 2.4 miles from Coal and Candle Creek Road, widening of a half mile section at Commodore Heights and the construction of a one way loop road at West Head at the extreme northern end of the road. These works were brought to formation standard for use by traffic by Christmas, 1962. Progressive construction of the road to a 30 miles per hour standard with a 20 feet wide bitumen pavement was then commenced. Generally the existing align- ment was improved by widening the formation and bends. Shoulder widths were widened to provide roadside parking to enable motorists to take advantage of the scenic views. Extreme care was taken to preserve aboriginal rock carvings and the native flora in the vicinity of the work.

Part of the road after reconstruction

Clearing of the undergrowth and vegetation was restricted to the absolute minimum and in consequence costly manual work was involved in avoiding damage outside these limits. The length of the road, following construction, is 7.65 miles or about 1.35 miles shorter than the original track. There was a scarcity of water in the area, for road construction, but a supply was obtained by con- structing a temporary weir at Salvation Creek. Aerial view of the loop road near West llead A National Fitness camp established at West Head was removed and the site at the point was developed by the Ku-ring-gai Chase Trust and ceremonially opened Views like this can be seen from the road in March 1965. At this stage the Department had provided a completed formation throughout. A temporary black top pavement has since been provided. Some sections have been provided with a hot bitumen flush seal and the Department expects to complete the final seal on the remainder during the next financial year, 1966-67. Throughout the whole of the road construction period, the closest possible liaison with the Trust was maintained, particularly in relation to the preservation of flora, natural features and rock carvings. There is still some restoration and conservation work to be done and the advice of the Soil Conservation Service of New South Wales has been sought on this aspect. I In MAINROADS - VOL. 31 No. 4 I------I------TECHNIQU 1 OF MODERN ROAD I I comtucria

HE volume of present day traffic and the speed at loading and discharge. An important step forward in T which it travels are such that improved design recent years has been the development of self-loading standards and construction methods are necessary. motorised scrapers, obviating the need for push loading. Improved design standards call for greatly increased quantities of work, requiring larger and improved Excavation in rock previously has been carried out by equipment. drilling with jackhammers and blasting with explosives. However, the development of hydraulically controlled Probably the most interesting aspect of road con- rear-mounted rippers attached to larger crawler tractors struction is the phase called Earthworks i.e. the has introduced a new era in rock excavation. The operations involved in the loosening and removal of direct mounting of the rippers to the tractors (in earth and rock and construction of embankments. contrast to rippers being towed behind the tractor and There is something exciting about large bulldozers, operated by wire ropes through a power control unit scoops, shovels etc. cutting through hills and pushing or attached to the tractor) has increased their versatility carrying earth to nearby embankments. and permitted penetration into materials where this was not previously possible.

CLEARING AND PREPARATION These rippers have much greater capacity than those Before road construction commences, all trees, scrub previously available and units suitable for use with etc. must be cleared from the areas to be excavated and tractors of approx. 400 hp capacity are capable of filled. Previously, this timber was pushed to the side ripping rock which previously required drilling and and at some convenient time later, it was stacked and blasting. They have greatest application in jointed or burnt. Present practice is to push this timber into the broken rock. Considerable quantities of sandstone centre of the road and burn it prior to commencing have been ripped in the construction of the Sydney- earthworks, thereby eliminating the accumulation of Newcastle and Warringah Expressways. unsightly piles of fallen trees. Prior to placing any filling, unsuitable material under the fill area must be removed and the natural DRILLING AND BLASTING surface compacted with rollers so that it will not settle further under the added weight of the fill after con- Harder rock still requires drilling and blasting. On struction has been completed. Topsoil in the cut and larger works, the hand-held jackhammer is being fill areas is excavated and stockpiled for later use in superseded by the crawler mounted drills. These units landscaping operations. are capable of drilling at a fast rate larger diameter holes to considerable depth, thereby allowing greater spacing of holes (drilling pattern). They have good EXCAVATION reach to either side and upwards and can drill on an angle, thereby facilitating the cutting of batters. They Excavation in earth is usually carried out with bull- move easily from hole to hole, even over rough terrain, dozers and scrapers (scoops). The latter may be and pull their own compressor when necessary. drawn by a crawler tractor or may be of the motorised, pneumatic tyred type. These require the help of a For blasting rock, considerable use is now made of pusher tractor (bulldozer) to assist in loading, but have Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil mixtures. Ammonium the advantage of high speed of travel between points of Nitrate alone is not an explosive, but when mixed with JUNE, 1966 MAIN ROADS

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spaced over the depth of hole. In some instances, alternate holes only are loaded. Pre-splitting techniques have also been applied to provide neatly trimmed trenches in rock e.g. for bridge foundations. They have also been used to advantage where ripping is the main method of loosening rock.

Pre-splitting has been found to be economical and to provide neater batters with the amount of final trimming considerably reduced.

COMPACTION

It is important that road formations and pavements should be fully compacted during construction so that they will withstand the loads they will be expected to carry during their life without further consolidation and/or failure.

Modern trucks with heavy axle loads operate with tyre contact pressures of 90 to 100 Ib per sq. inch and the contact pressures and wheel loads of compacting equipment need to be equivalent. Many types of rollers are now in use including smooth wheel steel, sheepsfoot (or spiked), vibrating (smooth roll or sheeps- foot type), grid and pneumatic tyred. Recent develop- ments in pneumatic tyred rollers include heavier wheel loads and equipment whereby the tyre pressure may be varied (usually betwecn 40 and 150 Ib per sq. inch) while still operating. This is valuable where the soil strength must be gradually built up before applying the full compactivc effort.

Each type of roller has effcctive application to particular types of soils and usually a combination

An assembly of various types of plant used in road construction Crawler mounted drilling equipment preparing holes for blasting

6-8 per cent by weight of Fuel Oil it acquires the properties of an explosive of low sensitivity. The two ingredients are brought to the site individually and mixed “on site” for use as required. Thcy are simple to transport and handle, particularly by comparison with conventional explosives and generally result in lower blasting costs. Ammonium Nitrate however is readily soluble in water and should not be used under wet conditions unless protected from moisture e.g. in polythene tubes.

PRE-SPLITTING OF CUT BATTERS A recent development in rock excavation is the pre- splitting of batters. Basically, Pre-splitting consists of creating a plane of shear (or weakness) in solid rock along the desired line of break. Holes are drilled at close intervals and loaded with light charges of explosives MAIN ROADS VOL. 31 No. 4

of two or more rollers is used to achieve maximum compaction. Each soil has a moisture content, known as Optimum Moisture Content, at which it achieves maximum density for a given compactive effort. It is essential that the soil attain this moisture content if it is to be adequately compacted to resist further consolidation under traffic. Considerable quantities of water are thus used in road construction-on wide formations in dry areas of the State, up to 1,000,000 gallons of water could be required for each mile of road.

DRAINAGE No road can function satisfactorily unless it is adequately drained. This covers the removal of surplus water from the roadway, prevention of water from reaching the road and the controlled movement of water along and under the road. Drainage includes surface drainage by means of catch drains, table drains and kerb and gutter; culverts of concrete or steel pipes, concrete box sections (either precast or cast in situ); and subsoil drainage (to prevent water reaching the pavement). On multi-lane roads, it is often necessary to provide underground stormwater drainage parallel and adjacent to the pavement, leading to suitable cross culverts, to prevent accumulation of water on the pavement.

PAVEMENT The strength of a road lies in its pavement-in the 'Tractor draan shccpsfoot roller compacting earthworks quality of materials used, in adequate thickness and in control of compaction and final shape. Practically all roads in N.S.W. are constructed with flexible pavements i.e. other than cement concrete pavement. The latter is used in the Metropolitan area Pneumatic tyred roller and heavy duty grader working on crushed and on some roads carrying heavy industrial traffic. rock base course However, due to its high cost, it is not used generally for road pavements. Materials used in flexible pavement construction include natural gravels, soft rocks and artificial gravels. Artificial gravels are usually produced by crushing rock and if necessary screening into various sizes and recombining to give the desired grading. It is necessary to ensure that these materials are uniformly spread without segregation of the fine and coarse fractions. particularly with the artifical gravels, and special #--- spreading machines are used to achieve this. As in earthworks. thc pavement must be fully compacted and the pneumatic tyred, vihrating and smooth wheel rollers are used. together with grid rolIcr5 on the soft rock pavements.

The actual running surface is constructed with cither asphaltic concrete or a bitumen seal coat. Asphaltic concrete is used on the morc heavily trafficked roads JUNE. 1966 MAIN ROADS 113 and consists of a mixture of bitumen with a mineral (6) Stockpiling topsoil for respreading on completion of filler and graded fine and coarse aggregates. Mixing is earthworks for grassing and planting of batters, carried out at a central mixing plant where the aggregates slopes and median areas. are heated, screened and then weighed into a hopper before passing to a pugmill, into which the bitumen is (c) Rounding and flattening the tops and batters of sprayed directly. The batches are stored in a hopper cuttings and banks. until a truck load is available. The asphaltic concrete (d) Protecting drains from scouring. is hauled to the site where it is spread by a mechanical tamper spreader to the desired thickness and level and (e) Judicious planting of trees and shrubs, and seeding initial compaction imparted by vibrating plates at the and turfing of road batters. rear of the spreader. final compaction is completed by steel wheel and pneumatic tyred rollers. Good examples of landscaping can be seen in the recently completed section of the Sydney-Newcastle Bitumen seal coats are used on less heavily trafficked Expressway and the Gladesville and Captain Cook roads and this form of surface ic found on a big Bridge areas. proportion of rural roads. After the pavement has been constructed and compacted, it is finally prepared by grading and the surface swept to remove al! loose stones, dust, dirt and foreign material. Hot bitumen MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL is sprayed from a pressure distributor through a spray bar, and immediately covered with crushed stone Modern road construction, involving as it does high applied through spreaders fed from motor lorries. The expenditure and large capital investment for plant, surface is then rolled with pneumatic tyred or steel wheel materials etc. and frequently having to work under rollers to ensure bond between the bitumen and stone. difficult conditions with traffic on or adjacent to the work, requires careful job planning and control to ensure efficient and economical working. On smaller works, this can be achieved by drawing a schedule of ROADSIDE FURNISHINGS operations in the form of a line diagram or bar chart, Road furnishings are provided for the guiding and from which can be derived graphs of planned progress guarding of traffic and “set off” a road. They include for major items of work and rate of expenditure. Daily guide posts andlor protection fencing (steel guard rail records are then kept, checked at regular intervals by or chainwire), fitted with reflective discs, along the physical measurements, of all work phases and these edges of high embankments and curves, the painting of are plotted against the planned progress to ensure the a line (reflectorised with glass beads for night visibility) estimated rates are being achieved. along the centre of the pavement, warning signs, direction and information signs. “Advisory speed” signs may On larger works the Critical Path Method for planning be placed beneath curve signs to indicate the maximum and management of works is used. Critical Path safe speed for negotiating the curve. “Sighting screens” Method consists essentially of the representation of a are erected to provide a background for drivers project plan by a schematic diagram or network model, approaching a T-junction from the side road and marker depicting the sequence and inter-relation of all the boards are provided on bridges narrower than the road components parts or activities of the project. It permits formation. the ready evaluation and comparison of alternative works programmes and construction methods before construction commences by the analysis and comparison LANDSCAPING of different network models. Jt takes into account Considerable emphasis is now placed on landscaping conditions or constraints which will affect the progress the road formation and adjacent areas so as to blend of the work e.g. physical, safety, management and the road formation as far as practicable with the natural resource constraints. land formation so that it is in harmony with, and not in competition with, the landscape. Landscaping Once a plan has been prepared by Critical Path respects aesthetic values, and results in a road of Method the network model clearly indicates those improved appearance, pleasing to drive along and in site operations which control the smooth execution of consequence safer for motorists to traverse. the works. The broader aspects of landscaping can be dealt with Finally, as construction proceeds, the engineer is in the design stage by judicious use of combinations of provided with precise information concerning the horizontal and vertical curves. Considerable contri- effects of every variation or delay to the adopted plan. bution can be made during construction to blending This enables the identification of operations which the road to the landscape in the following ways:- require remedial action. (U) Preserving as much natural growth as possible by reducing clearing to the minimum, particularly by Critical Path Method is particularly useful where a retaining worthwhile trees very close to the normal work has to be divided into a number of sections, clearing limits. due to traffic or other requirements. 1 I4 MAINROADS VOL. 31 No. 4 - ~ Warringah Expressway

HE planned route of the Warringah Expressway extends from T the northern end of Sydney Harbour Bridge via Cammeray, Naremburn and Castlecrag to Seaforth with a bridge over Middle Harbour. At Seaforth the expressway will form into two branches, one route proceeding northerly towards French’s Forest and Narrabeen and the other easterly to Manly Vale. A connection from the expressway at Naremburn will link with the Pacific Highway and Epping Road systems near Artarmon. The Warringah Expressway is designed to provide a fast. uninterrupted through route for traffic between Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Warringah and North Shore areas and link up with the planned expressway system south of Sydney Harbour. The full length of the expressway will be about 9 miles and it is currently estimated to cost approximately $80,000,000, of which about one third will be for acquisition of property.

FIRST SECTION A tender for the construction of the first section of the Warringah Expressway was accepted by the Department of Main Roads in April, 1965. lhe path of the ruprewaay wperinipowd on an serial view of North Syilney The successful tenderer for the work is the firm of Reed and Stuart Pty Ltd, the contract price being $9,972,363. The section for which the tender has been accepted traffic will be able to use a substantial part of the new is 1.5 miles in length extending from the northern end route by August 1967. of Sydney Harbour Bridge to Miller Street, Cammeray, with a temporary connection to Chandos Street at This section of the expressway is expected to reduce West Street, Cammeray. All work under the contract the heavy volume of traffic, experienced during peak is scheduled for completion by December 1967; however hours, on local streets in North Sydney and increase the capacity of the immediate northern approach to Sydney Harbour Bridge, thus enabling the bridge to Public utilities were re-located in specially constructed tunnels operate at full capacity. before main construction cummenced Between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Ernest Street, there will be four carriageways providing eight traffic lanes as well as a climbing lane for slow-moving traffic. Each lane will be twelve feet wide. The traffic flow on the two centre carriageways will be reversible, permitting three carriageways to carry traffic in the same direction during peak periods. Two carriageways will carry trafIic in each direction during off peak periods. The reversing trafic flow will end between Ernest Street and Bellevue Street, where the four separate carriageways will merge to two carriageways each of four lanes. In order to provide a smooth approach to the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the two approach viaducts now carrying south-bound traffic on to the bridge will be altered extensively, the existing Bradfield Highway pavement will be widened and the steel arch bridge, which formerly carried the double tram tracks across the Bradfield Highway, will be demolished. This and adjacent work will be done in eight separatestages so as to reduce interruption to traffic to a minimum. Temporary detour roads will be built during each stage to carry traffic around the work in progress. There will be no provision for pedestrians or vehicle crossing movements at the expressway level. Crossings of the expressway will be by means of Overbridges at High Street, Mount Street, Falcon Street, Ernest Street or Miller Street and by a pedestrian overbridge at Ridge Street. Access for traffic to or from the expressway will be available at Pacific Highway, High Street, Mount Street, Berry Street, Falcon Street, Ernest Street and Miller Street and at the temporary connection at Chandos Street. Separate bus stopping stations adjacent to Falcon Street and Miller Street will be provided. Special consideration was given to the final appearance of the expressway and Professor P. Spooner, Professor of the School of Architecture at the University of New South Wales, was retained by the Department as Consultant to advise on and prepare a scheme for A view of the work looking nnrth landscaping. This scheme provides for the shaping of the construction areas to blend with the adjacent land Special attention was also given to the method of contours and the planting of lawns, shrubs and trees in excavation of the rock cuttings so that the batters or appropriate areas within the expressway boundaries. side walls will present a pleasing appearance. The section from Sydney Harbour Bridge to Miller Construction in the early stages. The Brst overpass, at High Street, Cammeray, was designed for the Department of Street, is being constructed and can be seen in the centre Main Roads by De Leuw, Cather and Company, Consulting Engineers. The design provides for speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. The roadway pavement will consist of two inches of asphaltic concrete on eight inches of reinforced cement concrete with six inches of compacted broken stone as a base. The deepest cutting, located between Falcon Street and Ernest Street, will be 40 feet and the highest fill adjacent to Hampden Street, will be 65 feet. The total cost of this section is expected to be about $20,000,000, property acquisitions accounting for approximately $8,400,000. Some indication of the complexity of the work can be gained from the fact that the contract plans consist of 447 sheets of drawings and a specification comprising 321 foolscap pages. Some of the main items included in the work are:-

0 The excavation of nearly 1,500,000 cubic yards of earth and rock. U The supply and laying of 60,000 cubic yards of concrete for the road pavement and shoulders. The construction of 22 miles of concrete kerb and gutter, and five miles of reinforced concrete pipe culverts and stormwater drains. 0 Construction of over one mile of reinforced concrete retaining walls. 0 The construction of two reinforced concrete box girder Overbridges, three steel and concrete over- bridges and one prestressed reinforced concrete pedestrian overbridge. MAIN ROADS VOL. 3I No. 4

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Views of the Department’s Exhihit

ROYAL EASTER SHOW, 1966 the Warringah Expressway, and plans of other express- HE Department of Main Roads again staged an ways proposed or in hand were also on exhibit. The T exhibit at the Royal Agricultural Society’s Royal Department’s artist-draftsman was engaged on the Easter Show, 1966. preparation of an impression of the North-Western Expressway at Wentworth Park. The exhibit set out to show how aerial and ground survey information is used in designing roads and the A stereoscope was set up with a pair of aerial photo- production of working drawings which are required graphs to give visitors a three-dimensional view of the before road construction is commenced. type of country in the Hawkesbury River Valley through which the expressway is being constructed. All stages of design, from aerial reconnaissance in location to final design models, were displayed by photo- Great interest was shown in the exhibit; visitors graphs. Included were photographs of the Department’s indicated that this was an aspect of the Department’s helicopter, of reconnaissance and field inspection, spline activity that was not previously appreciated, and the for uses in location work, tellurometer on field survey, draftsmen were kept busy throughout the show explaining electronic computer, aerial camera, design and traffic various aspects of their work. models, and the preparation of final construction plans. In addition, approximately I50,ooO brochures on Draftsmen were actually working on the design of “How a Road is Built” and “How a Bridge is Built”, the Sydney-Newcastle Expressway south from the and maps showing types of surfaces and travelling times Hawkesbury River towards Cowan. Photographs of on the Main Roads system, were distributed. JUNE, 1966 MAIN ROADS 117

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NEPEAN RXWER BRIDGES NEAR PENRXTH

N THE not too distant future a new bridge is to be given the superintendence of the work. He had been I built over the Nepean River at Regentville near a surveyor under William Gibbs and John Perry, who Penrith to carry the Western Expressway over the river at one time were Commissioners of Roads. to the foothills of the Blue Mountains. The new bridge will be some two miles upstream from the Victoria This McBeth was one of the emigrants who came out Bridge on the , the main outlet under the auspices of Dr Lang, and was engaged building to the west. the old George Street Markets. He had some knowledge of drawing, and put himself up as an architect of note, The Victoria Bridge, completed in 1867, was not the but proved the contrary, as the Sydney Council could first bridge to cater for travellers bound for the west. verify re the Town Hall. However, David had a great It was preceded by an earlier timber bridge, built through front, and with his wonderful amount of self esteem the efforts of early settlers, but unfortunately twice managed to gull the public for many years. The washed away by disastrous floods, the second time after company was anxious to get to work, and at the first being reconstructed. meeting they elected Robert Fitzgerald chairman, J. T. Ryan managing director and treasurer, McBeth engineer, and Alexander Frazer secretary. A punt, pile-driver, THE FIRST NEPEAN BRIDGE and appliances were soon got ready, timber was ordered, and work commenced in real earnest. The span was Mr James T. Ryan, a pioneer of the Penrith district seven hundred feet from bank to bank, and the depth and at one time, member for the electorate of Nepean, from ten to fifteen feet. The piles went in fairly well relates an interesting story concerning the first bridge where there was sufficient silt on both sides of the river. in his book “Reminiscences of Australia”. He says- They were driven by a twenty-five cwt pile-driving monkey, and thought by those knowing no better to “The want of a bridge to connect Emu Plains and be well done. But they were mistaken, for when Penrith caused much discussion. The traffic to and visible to the eye the iron shoes encircling the piles were From the western district was very great, and had to be found to be bent by the force with which they came in conveyed over the river by a large punt. The sheep contact with the bed of rock, consequently, the bottom had also to cross in this manner. Very often a string of the piles were greatly damaged, and pounded up like of teams would be waiting to cross in their turn, and mop heads. McBeth had a salary of f300 a year and people travelling in vehicles would be detained sometimes the promise of a present from the board on the for days, and even weeks. This state of affairs was a completion of the work, which took three years to source of much inconvenience to the inhabitants as accomplish. Monthly meetings of the directors were well as to travellers. held, and quarterly meetings for the shareholders. The remainder of the business being carried on by local directors as circumstances required. At last the A few enterprising men made up their minds to form work was completed; Mr McBeth received from the a company for the purpose of erecting a bridge. Robert board, beside his salary, f200 as a gratuity. The tolls Copeland Lethbridge, of Werrington, was instructed to were sold for 62,250 for the first year, and the traffic draw up a Bill to lay before Parliament, which was increased, though the toll was heavy. It was a great soon passed under the auspices of James Martin (since convenience to the public. The toll was the same as Sir James), then a member for Cook and Westmoreland, that charged by the punt, with the exception of foot which were within hi$ electorate. passengers, who paid Id. instead of 2d. The company were jubilant on their success, and McBeth strutted The first Directors of the Company wers Edwin about like a crow in a gutter. Having E750 in hand, Rouse, John Perry, Charlcs York, Henry Hall, James the company decided to celebrate the opening of the T. Ryan, and Robert Fitzgerald. bridge by giving a grand ball and supper on it, and a meeting was called for that purpose. The shares were taken up in a very short time, with power to raise a further sum of &5,000, added to the Preparations were made on a very elaborate scale, sum of f12,OOO authorised under the Bill. David and live hundred and sixty tickets were sold at El for McBeth, who resided in the district, was unfortunately a double and 15s. for a single, besides about forty which m WYiY iil Above: Emu Hall, once the home of James Ryan Thus ended the festivities in connection with the Left: The Explorers’ opening of the Nepean Bridge, 1854. Monument at the Nepean River near Fitzgerald, having a large interest in property at Penrith Richmond, induced J. T. Ryan to join him, and call a meeting for the purpose of forming a company to build a bridge at that place, there being plenty of timber close at hand, they could not well go wrong. An offer were presented by the Directors. No expense was was made for the Penrith Bridge plant, to be delivered spared to make it a success. The whole seven hundred at Richmond for one-third of the original cost, which feet was covered by canvas, and was brilliantly lighted was accepted. The same engineer and secretary, who by chandeliers, which were rented for the occasion at lived mid-way between Richmond and Penrith, were a cost of f30. A splendid band was also engaged. also engaged. The Company was duly formed, there The services of Johnson, the best caterer of the day, being only three directors, viz., George Bowman, with his staff of assistants, were secured, and the cooking Fitzgerald, and Ryan. The plant was got down with was done at Emu Hall, on the banks of the river close great difficulty, and poor McBeth nearly lost his life in to the bridge. It was also decided to give a dinner in taking the punt with all her gear. A little below the the earlier part of the evening, composed only of bridge there is a sharp turn in the river, round which gentlemen, and a portion of the bridge was partly great difficulty was experienced in getting her head divided for that purpose, serving later in the evening straight on the stream. Six men were on the shore as a refreshment room during the ball, the novelty of with ropes round the oak trees, but when in the narrow which brought people from far and near. They were rapid the ropes one after another broke, and away she not disappointed, for it was a splendid affair, and the went, dashing from one side to the other for six miles, talk of the whole district. It cost about €1,000. until she was finally stopped in the sluggish waters below Single’s, where the men overtook her, and landed The next day the Managing Director gave a dinner her safe at her moorings at Richmond. to about sixty gentlemen at his residence, Emu Hall, and this also proved as enjoyable as that of the previous There was a little difficulty connected with the bridge evening. Johnson was retained for this occasion also. affairs. George Matcham Pitt had rented the punt It took place at two o’clock, and lasted three hours. at Richmond for three years. The Company intended The band was stationed on the verandah, and played to call it the Richmond Pitt Bridge, that was if they during the meal. At the same time all the men employed could persuade Pitt to sell the lease; but he was too on the works, about eighty in all, were entertained on wary to be caught. the lawn in front of the house, where four casks of beer While the preliminary business was being settled, and a plentiful repast was fully appreciated by the men, McBeth, though he was under pay, had not received who did justice to the good things prepared. his appointment. About five o’clock Tom Simons drove up with his The Nepean Bridge had only been completed twelve coach and six horses to take some of the gentlemen months when a flood came and took four spans out of back to Sydney. It was a pretty sight to see the horses the centre. The Richmond Company could not for stepping out over the bridge, and Johnny Holmes with one moment after this think of retaining the services of his red coat blowing the horn. McBeth, who was instantly dismissed. Moriarty, with rJUNE. 1966 MAIN ROADS 119 a clerk of works under him, was engaged, and the work was again washed away during the flood of 1860. The was finished in a satisfactory manner, but the bank district reverted to a punt for crossing the Nepean until gave way from the work, and another pier was added 1867 when the Victoria Bridge was completed.) to each end, which secured the bridge, and it is still in existence. J. T. Ryan sold out his share at a loss, to turn his attention to the repair or reconstruction of the THE VICTORIA BRIDGE bridge at his own door. Luckily, the old Government punt had been preserved at Penrith, and the traffic had The bridge which now carries the Great Western to be carried on in the old style. Highway over the Nepean River was primarily built to accommodate the railway which at that time was being The directors decided to reconstruct the bridge, and extended to serve the Blue Mountains. called for tenders under Moriarty, which was accepted at f9,000. William Lockhart was the contractor. A Because of the lack of an adequate river crossing to punt was also built. Work was again resumed, and it Serve road traffic following the destruction of the timber was found necessary to pull up pier after pier. and had bridge, a six feet roadway was provided on the Victoria they taken Moriarty’s advice and pulled up the whole, Bridge in addition to the single railway track. the bridge would have been standing today, and the Contrary to a widespread but erroneous belief that expense would not have been more than 53,000 extra. the Victoria Bridge was originally destined for the Crimean area, it was in fact designed for this site by The plan upon which the last structure was built was Mr John Whitton, then Engineer-in-Chief thc New sixty-feet sleepers, twelve by twelve, let into the solid of rock, secured by bolts, and bound by iron straps of South Wales Railways and constructed under his immense strength. Under the direction of Moriarty supervision. and Lockhart the work was finished, and so far It is a wrought-iron box girder bridge built on sand- satisfactorily. stone piers. The ironwork was supplied by Pete, Brassey and Betts of Birkenhead, England. It cost $220,000 to The toll this time was sold for twelve months for erect. 52.850 to Richard Brookes, Clerk of Petty Sessions at Penrith. The Company was indebted to the Com- The Victoria Bridge was completed on 8th June, 1867, mercial Bank for 52,000, and E150 other liabilities. but within a few weeks the western approach was seriously damaged by flood. Repairs were not finally Henry Bcll, of Bell’s Chambers, Sydney, was a shareholder from the first, and became a director in the sccond in place of Perry. Three of the directors The rail and road bridges now in use at Penrith had signed on behalf of the whole. After two heavy floods in succession, one of which it stood the shock of like a solid rock, it was again destroyed by the highest flood known since the foundation of the colony, the three taking place within a year of reconstruction. The top was lifted clean off and seven hundred feet of decking was thrown on to a sand bank, about four thousand feet bclow where it was erected, and just within sight of the house of the largest shareholder, who lost f5,525, besides much of his valuable time. Had two more of the piers been pulled down, and others been built, as the contractor advised, the bridge would have been saved. York and Rouse would not, or did not, attend any of the meetings. and Fitzgerald, Bell and Ryan were left to wind up matters which stood thus. All the small shares had been bought up by the few who were bold enough to reconstruct, as they had preferential shares. Rouse and York had only one hundred shares each, and the remainder belonged to Bell, Fitzgerald and Ryan. However, Rouse and York dying soon after, the three directors had to pay the bank, after all the previous losses sustained by them. Alas! How jubilant at the completion of the enterprise, but how soon doomed to disappointment.” (The Royal Australian Historical Society Journal (Vol. 2, Part 2, 1906) reports that the first bridge was opened by Governor Fitzroy on 1st January, 1856 (not 1854 as stated by Mr Ryan). It was washed away by flood in August 1857 and after being reconstructed -120 MAIN ROADS VOL. 31 No. 4 The new bridge will be a six-lane structure, two lanes of which will initially be used as breakdown lanes until required for use as traffic lanes. It will have twin carriageways, separated by a six feet wide median, and flanked on each side by six feet wide footways. The bridge will comprise five spans, the end spans being 170 feet and the three centre spans each being 235 feet, the overall length being 1,045 feet. Architectural advice is being obtained from Messrs Fowell, Mansfield and Maclurcan. The preservation of Olympic standard rowing con- ditions on the river will be considered in the design. The Department is having the design prepared with a view to the commencement of construction in mid- 1967. completed until 1869 and it is uncertain if road traffic used the bridge during the course of these repairs. As The new bridge will be a fitting complement to the the punt was still operating in 1870 it is most likely that beauty of the Nepean River and the surrounding all road traffic used the punt until the repairs were countryside and an exciting gateway to the renowned effected. The existing railway bridge was completed Blue Mountains. in 1907 and the Victoria Bridge was subsequently converted to full use for road purposes.

THE PROPOSED NEW BRIDGE The planned Western Expressway is designed to provide a fast through route from the City to the lower Blue Mountains. It will be built in stages and the first section proposed to be constructed will be a new bridge over the Nepean River and the immediate road approaches to the east and west. The bridge will cross the Nepean River at Regentville, near Penrith, about two miles upstream from the Victoria Bridge on the Great Western Highway. The Department has engaged the services of G. Maunsell and Partners, Consulting Engineers of Artkt.9 1mprePsion of the propnwd new hridgc to urri the Melbourne to prepare a design. Wcqtern Exprewmy mer the Repean River

SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE ACCOUNT

Receipts and Payments for the period from 1st July, 1965 to 31st March, 1966

~ ~ -~~-___~ ~ ~. ~~ ~ ~ ____ Rercipts Payments $ I s Road Tolls ...... 2,899,860 Cost of collecting road tolls ...... 302,223 Contributions- Maintenance and minor improvement . . .. 412,015 Railway passengers ...... 208,694 Interest, exchange, and management expenses on Omnibus passengers ...... 22,747 State Loans ...... 891,060 Rent from Properties ...... 79,787 Alterations to Archways ...... Miscellaneous . . .. 1,225 Alterations to other structures ...... 34,803 Loan Borrowings for ‘the Warriniah Expressway Administration expenses ...... 31,565 Approach ...... 1,180,000 Provision of traffic facilities , ...... 56,028 Interest and provision for repayment -Loan Borrow- ings under Section 7 of Sydney Harbour Bridge ’ Administration Act ...... 56,129 Transfers to Expressways Fund’ ...... 2,626,750 1 Miscellaneous . , ...... 122,449 _____ ~-

$4,392,313 ~ $4,388.1 24 ____ * Credit ~ - ~ ~~ .- ~~ .~ JUNE, 1966 MAIN ROAI)S 121

~~~ ~ -. .

TREET lighting came into being mainly in the paths and the road carriageways. The need for street S interests of law and order long before the develop- lighting to illuminate pedestrians who may cross the ment of the motor car. Its initial objectives were to make roadway does not therefore exist. conditions safer for property owners and to protect Another feature of Expressways is that there is no pedestrians in an era when, because of the risk of attack direct access from the abutting properties and under by foot pads, the safest place to walk was the middle of these conditions there is no local requirement for street the road. lighting. The responsibility for street lighting under these Expressways must provide a high class facility designed conditions properly rested with the local communities. for high speed travel. At intersections, no crossing of A high standard of illumination was not required, and vehicles occurs, this manoeuvre being replaced by the in fact, for residential streets was undesirable. merging, diverging or weaving of traffic. In manoeuvre With the advent of the automobile, street lighting areas, it is essential that the pavement, pavement began to serve the purpose of delineating the way for markings, median kerbs and traffic islands are clearly the drivers of motor vehicles as well as to illuminate illuminated at night. A high level of lighting is also pedestrians crossing the road. With the recent very necessary to reduce the adverse effects of glare from substantial increase in the use of motor vehicles, it has vehicle headlights. been recognised that the full cost of improving street Because Expressways provide essentially for through lighting to serve these needs should not rest only upon traffic, the Department of Main Roads accepts full the local community and the New South Wales Street responsibility for the cost of installation and maintenance Lighting Subsidy Scheme has therefore been introduced of the street lighting on them. to provide a more equitable method for financing improved street lighting on arterial routes. The Recently, the Department has arranged for street Department of Main Roads is one of the Authorities lighting on the Gladesville and Tarban Creek Bridges which contributes towards the subsidy. together with their associated road approaches and intersections; the Captain Cook Bridge and its adjacent The advent of Expressways has presented a further sections of Expressway; selected locations on the development with special characteristics. Expressways Hawkesbury River-Mount White Tollwork and the are essentially corridors for through movement and, in new Roseville Bridge and its immediate approaches. general, carry no pedestrians. At locations where The Department will be arranging also for the lighting pedestrians are permitted, special precautions are taken on the new Warringah Expressway at present under to provide physical separation between the pedestrian construction. I22 VOL. 31 No. 4

In each case the Department has prepared a lighting Except on the ramps where lighting from one side design in consultation with the Electricity Authority was appropriate, opposite lighting has been used of New South Wales and the Street Lighting Advisory throughout. Committee. The electrical installation, including the arrangement of power supply, has been carried out for Both Gladesville Bridge and Captain Cook Bridge the Department by the appropriate Street Lighting span navigable waterways. Because of this, fully Authority in the area concerned. cutoff lanterns were required on the structures. Low semi-cutoff lanterns were used on the approaches. All Street lighting design has undergone rapid changes in lamps on these structures and adjacent approaches recent years. are colour corrected fluorescent mercury. On the Hawkesbury River-Mount White Tollwork semi-cutoff Incandescent filament lamps have given way to vapour and full cutoff sodium vapour lamps have been used. discharge and fluorescent lamps with consequent vast increase both in light output and efficiency. Lantern Because high vehicle speeds are involved, the Depart- designs have been steadily improved and a scientific ment adopted lightly constructed lighting standards in approach has been adopted to the design layout of the order to provide the least possible resistance if struck light sources in order to achieve better light distribution by a motor vehicle. This approach was based upon with reduced glare. the results of experiments overseas which indicated a reduction in severity of damage following impact with A problem in street lighting as compared to interior standards of yielding construction compared with those lighting arises from the lack of suitable reflective of a more rigid design. In order to achieve this, it was surfaces. In a room, a large percentage of the effective necessary to use underground wiring, but this course illumination is achieved by reflection from the ceiling was necessary also for aesthetic reasons. and walls, the result being a greater uniformity in light intensity and a reduction in glare. A road has no ceiling, while abutting buildings, even if close to the The electric power supply is three phase and the property line vary considerably in external texture. wiring is so arranged that adjacent poles are on a Trees, which add to the aesthetics in daylight, add to the different phase. In the event of a partial power failure, lighting problem at night. The difficulty is accentuated only each third light would be lost. on Expressways where there are no adjacent buildings to confine the light and provide a background at the sides. The only tunnel of substantial length on existing In addition, the wide carriageways necessitate exception- access controlled Main Roads is on the Cahill Express- ally high mounting heights and large wattage lanterns way. A further tunnel is under construction on General to obtain adequate light distribution, while semi-cutoff Holmes Drive in conjunction with the extension of or full cutoff facilities must be provided in the mounting to reduce glare to the motorist. In addition, long overhangs must be adopted to ensure that an adequate Modern expressway lighting clearance is provided between the lamp standard and the road carriageway. The layout of lanterns on an Expressway is further complicated by the need to illuminate interchanges and ramps and by the necessity to refrain from placing lighting standards in medians and traffic islands where they would constitute a danger to traffic.

At the Gladesville Bridge and associated works, where diverging routes resulted in carriageway widths of up to 60 ft, lighting is provided by 700 Watt lanterns with a mounting height of 35 ft at an approximate space of 140 feet. The outreach on the standards is IO feet. On the narrower sections including the length over the Gladesville Bridge, 400 Watt lanterns at a mounting height of 30 ft are provided at 100 ft to 120 ft spacing. On ramps with a width of 30 ft, 250 Watt lanterns are used at a mounting height of 25 ft, the spacing being about 90 ft.

A similar standard was used for the Captain Cook Bridge except that a mounting height of 40 ft was adopted for the 700 Watt lanterns with spacing being increased to about 160 ft. As far as is known this was the first time lamps of this power had been used in New South Wales for general street lighting purposes. .lur,i, 1966 MAINROADS 123

Above right: Daylight illumination of the tunnel carrying the Cahill Expressway under the Royal Botanic Gardens Below right: Illumination of the tunnel at night

Kingsford Smith Airport and an undcrpass is to be provided south of the Captain Cook Bridge on the next stage of the Southcrn Expressway. Tunnel lighting introduces a further series of problems. Good reflective properties are obtained by tiling the walls but the major difficulty arises in providing adequate lighting during the day, particularly in the vicinity of the tunnel portals, in order to transition the level of illumination from that of bright sunlight outside the tunnel to a much lower level of intensity within the tunnel. With the lighting installations on Expressways, the Department has endeavoured to preserve a high overall appearance. Overhead wiring has been eliminated and standards of a pleasing appearance have been adopted. Despite this, the need to provide a high uniform lighting intensity tends to result in a forest of standards. Various alternatives have been investigated such as lighting from bridge handrailing but found to be unsatisfactory for the wide carriageways involved. At some locations overseas flood lighting from a single-support tower of some 60 ft in height has been adopted and it is feasible that the future lighting of inter-change areas on Expressways could incorporate some lighting of this type in an effort to reduce to a minimum the number of lighting standards required.

MAIN ROADS FUNDS

Receipts and Payments for the period from 1st July, 1965 to 31st March, 1966 - I County of Cumberland Country Main Roads

Main Roads Fund ~ Fund

~~ $ $ RECEIPTS- Motor Vehicle Taxation (Slale) . . , ...... 4.498,65 I 17,994,604 Charges on heavy commercial goods vehicles under Road Maintenance (Contribu- tion) Act, 1958 (State) ...... 1,640,414 6,561,694 Commonwealth Aid Roads Act, 1964 , , ...... 3,484,493 13.5 19,470 From Councils under Section 1 I of Main Roads Act andjor for co~tof works . . 3,082,287 71,900 Other ...... 7 14,237 235,989

Total Receivts ...... 9 13,420,082 38,483,657 PAYMFNTS- Maintenance and minor improrements of roads and bridges ...... 2,569,003 11,897,935 Construction and reconstruction of roads and bridges ...... 6.825.975 18,769,359 Land Acquisitions ...... 1,746,867 1 420,672 Administrative Expenses ...... 407,176 , 2,241,460 Loan charges, payment of interest, exchange, management and flotation expenses. . 539, I3 I 1,066,560

'Miscellaneous ...... 1,832,068 ~ 2,795,259 51 I 14,oI 0,3IO 1 37,191,245

~ ~~~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~- ~ - * Includes transfers to Special Purposes Accounts in respect of finance for Operating Accounts, Suspense Accounts and Reserve Accounts MAIN ROADS VOL. 31 No. 4 I

~ ~ I THREE NEW COUNTRY BRIDGES

Recently, three new bridges serving important country areas were opened to trafic. Thev are at Barmah, near Echuca on the Murray River, over the Orara River about 10 miles west of South Grafton and at Bunneringee, over the Great Ana Branch of the Darling River.

BRIDGE OVER THE MURRAY RIVER AT BARMAH ITUATED on Main Road No. 391, connecting the S Cobb Highway in New South Wales with the Murray Valley Highway in Victoria, this new bridge over the Murray River was officially opened on Saturday, 19th March, 1966, by Mr J. A. Lawson, M.L.A., Member for the electorate of Murray (New South Wales) in whose electorate the bridge is located. Mr Lawson performed the opening ceremony in the presence of the Hon. M. V. Porter, M.L.A., Minister

The new bridge at Barmah

of Public Works, Victoria, and the Hon. P. H. Morton, M.L.A., Minister for Highways, New South Wales. The ceremony was attended by Parliamentarians and representative citizens from both States as well as a large public gathering. The new bridge is a State border work and by arrange- ment between the Country Roads Board, Victoria, and the Department of Main Roads, New South Wales, the Board agreed to arrange for the design of the bridge and supervise its construction. It is of prestressed concrete, consisting of seven spans, each 78 feet 6 inches long, the overall length is 570 feet and there is a footway on the downstream side. The carriage way is 24 feet wide. To provide for river traffic, the bridge has a 48 feet horizontal clearance and a 36 feet vertical clearance above normal water level. The cost of the bridge which was built by Central Constructions Pty Ltd of Sydney, was $294,000, while the approaches on both sides cost $40,000. The Country Roads Board and the Department of Main Roads shared equally the cost of constructing the bridge and each State Authority paid for the cost of constructing the respective approach roads. The Victorian approach was constructed by the Nathalia Shire Council and in New South Wales the approaches were constructed by the Murray Shire Council. The ferry across the Murray River at Barmah had been in existence since 1870. The service was declared JIJNE, 1966 MAIN ROADS 125

Designed by M. G. Bull and Associates, consulting engineers of Sydney, the bridge was constructed by John Holland (Constructions) Pty Ltd. The total cost of the bridge was approximately $417,000 and the approaches built by the Department‘s own work forces, cost an additional $128,000. The Department of Main Roads paid the full cost of the whole project.

The new bridge replaces a low level timber bridge built in 1937 to replace a ferry service. It was subject to frequent flooding. It is one quarter of a mile upstream from the new bridge. The Orara River is subject to sudden rises resulting from rain over its catchment area and floodwaters covered the old bridge at frequent intervals often rising as much as 30 feet Mr .I. 1. Lawon. M.L.Z. cutting the rihhoii licld I?) the Ilon. above the deck level. k1. \‘. Porter, M.I,.A. and the Ilon. P. II. Morton. M.L.A. The previous bridge was designed by Mr H. Cornwall, a National Work in November 1928, with operating who was then Shire Engineer of Nymboida Shire costs shared by Victoria and New South Wales. With Council and was built by Oxenford Bros. of Grafton the elimination of this service on 19th March, 1966, at a cost of $11,000. It was fitting that Mr Cornwall, there remain only two ferry services operating on the who has since retired, and representatives of the Oxenford Murray River, at Speewa and Wymah. family were present at the opening of the new bridge. The new bridge at Barmah is the twenty-sixth bridge The old bridge was known as the “Tindal Bridge”, over the Murray River for which the Victorian and and perpetuates the name of Charles Tindal, one of the New South Wales Authorities have shared responsibility. pioneers of the district who established the famous The oldest of these is the steel road and rail bridge Ramornie Meat Works adjacent to the bridge site and built at Echuca in 1877. who did much for the grazing industry in the Clarence Valley. Descendants of Charles Tindal still own BRIDGE OVER THE ORARA RIVER Ramornie Station. The Department, after considering With the construction of the new bridge ovcr the Orara River about ten milcs west of South Grafton, the Gwydir Highway (State Highway No. 12) becomes an all weather route between Grafton and Glen Innes. The new bridge was officially opened to traffic by the Hon. P. H. Morton. M.L.A., Minister for Highways, on Wednesday, 4th May, 1966. It is built of steel and concrete, consisting of seven spans with a total length of 735 feet. It is 24 feet wide between kerbs with a three feet wide catwalk on each side. At the centre of the river the bridge deck is 88 feet above normal high tide. The highest observed flood level is 69 feet above normal high tide.

The Hon. 1’. H. Mortnn. b1.1 .2. iimeiling the plaque. aatrhrd by menihers of the Tindal famil)

representations made to it, agreed to the new bridge being named “Tindal Bridge”.

The Gwydir Highway is an important link between the Tablelands and the Coast but frequent floodings at the low level bridge reduced its effectiveness. With the completion of the new bridge the Gwydir Highway is flood free except for a short length in South Grafton which is only affected by major flooding from the Clarence River. 'Ilic ne%vTindal Bridge

BRIDGE OVER GREAT ANA BRANCH OF 183 Dam with a ten feet wide road over it. The 183 DARLING RIVER AT BUNNERINGEE Dam is maintained by the Ana Branch Water Trust The third of this trio of new bridges recently brought and the Department of Main Roads has contributed into use is that over the Great Ana Branch of the towards its upkeep. Darling River at Bunneringee on the Silver City Highway (State Highway No. 22) approximately 42 miles north In recent years the Department has made considerable of Wentworth. progress with the reconstruction and bitumen surfacing of the Silver City Highway between Broken Hill and There is associated with the bridge over the Great Ana Wentworth. An article relating to this work was Branch, a smaller bridge over an adjacent flood channel published in the March 1965 issue of this Journal. and these two bridges together with a new fourteen More recently, this work has been continued and at mile section of deviated highway were brought into use the present time 110.2 miles out of the total length of when the Hon. P. H. Morton, M.L.A., Minister for 166 miles between Broken Hill and Wentworth are Highways, officiated at an opening ceremony on Friday, bitumen surfaced. The reconstructed pavement now 20th May, 1966. extends to 46.2 miles south of Broken Hill and from The new bridge over the Ana Branch has eleven 48 63.8 miles to 123.8 miles south of Broken Hill. From feet spans and is 528 feet long. The bridge over the 162 miles south of Broken Hill to 166 miles at Wentworth, flood channel is 240 feet long, and has five 48 feet there is a narrow bitumen surfaced pavement. Of the spans. The deck width of both is 24 feet. Construction intermediate sections, reconstruction between 46.2 miles is in steel with concrete decking. The contractor for to 51 miles south of Broken Hill is at present proceeding the bridge construction was the L. M. Robertson and this length will shortly be provided with a bitumen Construction Company of Edwardstown, South pavement. Between 51.0 miles and 63.8 miles south, Australia, the approximate cost being $210,000. Both reconstruction will commence at an early date with a bridges were designed for the Department by Morrison view to its completion by the end of 1967 when the and Little of Sydney. Department expects to commence reconstruction of the The highway previously crossed the Ana Branch final length of unsealed pavement between 123.8 and over an old irrigation control structure known as the 162.0 miles south of Broken Hill.

The new bridge over the Ana Branch with the smaller bridge in the background. JUNE. 1966 MAINROADS I27

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TENDERS ACCEPTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MAIN ROADS

The following tenders (in excess of $6,000) for Road and Bridge Works were accepted by the Departmenr during the three months ended 31st March, 1966.

Work or Service Name of Accepted Tenderer Amount i s State Highway No. 2-Hume Highway. City of Albury. Supply Allen Pros (Asphalting Contractors) Pty 5 1,897.75 and laying of 4,223 tons of asphaltic concrete between Union1 Ltd. Bridge and Guinea Street, Albury. State Highway No. 2-Hume Highway. Shire of Holbrook. Albury Constructions Pty Ltd 3 1,276. I8 Construction of 3 span steel and reinforced concrete bridge 170 feet long over Woomargama Creek 8.70 m. south of Holbrook. State Highway No. 2-Hume Highway. Shire of Hume. Manu- Monier Pipe Co. Pty Ltd . . 7,760.00 facture, supply and delivery of precast, prestressed concrete bridge units for construction of 4 span bridge, 120 feet long over, Bowna Creek 13.20 m. north of Albury. State Highway No. 4-Snowy Mountains Highway. Shire of Concrete Industries (Canberra) Pty Ltd 7,452.00 Mumhulla. Manufacture, supply and delivery of precast, pre- tensioned bridge units for bridge over Eighteen Mile Creek 17.60 m. west .if Bega. State Highway No. 5-Great Wcstcrn Highway. Shire of Blaxland. Pearson Bridge Pty Ltd .. 35,092.00 Widening of bridge over Marrangaroo Creek. State Highway No. 6-Mid Western Highway. Shire of Carrathool. G. Stevenson , , .. .. 12,194.50 Supply and delivery of 1.660 cubic yards of aggregate between 35.65 m. and 67 m. east of Hay. State Highway No. 8-Barrier Highway and Trunk Road 66. M. Gava , . , , .. .. 62,672.00 Construction of multi-cell reinforced concrete box culverts between 51 m. and 58 m. east of Broken Hill on State Highway, No. 8 and extension of a reinforced concrete box culvert on Trunk Road 66. State Highway No. 9--New England Highway. Shire of Scone. W. H. Marshall & Son . . . . I7,8l I .I2 Construction of 4 cell 9 ft x 2 ft reinforced concrete box culvert. State Highway No. 9-New England Highway. Shire of Severn. Pearson Bridge Pty Ltd .. 79,89 I .10 Construction of 3 span steel and reinforced concrete bridge 173 feet long over Beardy Waters at Yarraford. State Highway No. 10-Pacific Highway. Shire of Hastings. Edwards Building Services Pty Ltd 9,676.00 Foundation investigations for new bridge over the Wilson River at Telegraph Point. State High No. IO-Pacific Highway. Shire of Lake Macquarie. Boral Road Services Pty Ltd . . 65,250.00 Supply and delivery or 6,000 tons of asphaltic concrete between Vincent Slreet, North Belmont and Murray Street, Bennets Green. State Highway No. 10-Pacific Highway. Shirc of Tintenbar. A.C.F. & Shirleys Fertilisers Ltd 11,610.00 Supply and delivery of up to 3,OOD tons of hydrated lime for reconstruction and bitumen surfacing between Eversons Creek and Wardell. State Highway No. 14-Sturt Highway and State Highway No. 21- G. Stevenson . , .. .. 731.50 Cohh Highway. Shires of Carrathool, Hay and Murrumbidgee. Supply and delivery of 918 cubic yards of aggregate to various: locations. State Highway No. 17-Newell Highway. Shire of Boolooroo./ N. Del Gatto ...... 50.478.40 Constriction of 10 span steel ana reinforced concrete bridge,I 233 feet long o~crManamoi Creek 24.85 m. south of Moree. State Highway No. 17-Newell Highway. Shire of Namoi. Con- Kalo Constructions Ptv Ltd 22,477.32 struction of 4 reinforced concrete box culverts of various sizes hetween 16 m. and 27.50 m. north of Narrabri. State Highway No. 19-Monaro Highway. Shire of Monaro. Transbridge Pty Ltd . . 95,116.90 Construction of 4 span steel and reinforced concrete bridge, 280 reet long over the McLaughlin River 3.60 m. south of Nimmitabel. Trunk Road No. 74-Shire of Nymboida. Supply and delivery of Moy Bros Pty Ltd . . 37,997.32 steel deck planking for the redecking of truss spans on bridge over the Nymboida River. Main Road No. 503-Shire of Patrick Plains. Construction of 3 Central Constructions Pty Ltd 82,962.00 span steel and reinforced concrete bridge 264 feet long over the MacDonald River 39 m. south west of Singleton. Main Road No. 59GShire of Gosford. Supplying and laying of Enioleum (Aust.) Ltd . . 132,698.90 asphaltic concrete between Calga and Ourimbah.

~ TENDERS ACCEPTED BY COUNCILS

The following tenders (in excess of $6,000) for Road and Bridge Works were accepted by the respective Councils for the three months ended 31st March, 1966.

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Council Road No. 1 Work or Service I Name of Accepted Amount I Tenderer , ~~~ __ ~ -- $ Ashford S.H. 16, T.R.' Bitumen surfacing of various sections .. . . Emoleum (Aust.) Ltd . .I 30,442.45 63. M.R.'s 134 & 187., Balranald T.R. 67 . . Supply and delivery of 1,035 cubic yards of aggregate A. G. Leech Pty Ltd . . 9,936.00 between 0 m. and 6.75 m. north of Balranald.

Bibbenluke S.H. 19 ~ Reconstruction to sub-grade level between 13.80 m. Lundberg Constructions1 70,543.22 ''1 and 17 m. south of Nimmitabel. Pty Ltd. Bibbenluke Construction of 4 cell 7 ft x 5 ft reinforced concrete Lundberg Constructionsi 12,060.52 box culvert over Black Spring 4 m. from the Pty Ltd. Monaro Highway. Canobolas Supply and delivery of aggregate for bitumen sur- Orange Blue Metal Pty 9,31 1.71

facing works throughout the Shire. ~ Ltd. Canobolas Bitumen surfacing at various locations within the Emoleum (Aust.) Ltd . .I 15,608.21 i Shire. I Condobolin T.R.'s 57 &I Supply and delivery of aggregate to stockpiles at N.C. & A.D. Bennett . 1 9,807.73 61. various locations. Coolamon M.R.'s 240 &/ Bitumen surfacing between 28 m. and 31 m. north of Boral Road Services Ptyi 11,063.25 243. Coolamon on Main Road No. 240 and between Ltd. I 1 0.20 m. and 3.20 m. east of Coolamon on Main I Road No. 243. I Gilgandra . . S.H. 18 . . Bitumen surfacing between 32.25 m. and 36 m. south Shorncliffe Pty Ltd . . 9.036.67 of Coonamble. Goobang . . M.R. 350 . . , Bitumen surfacing between 0.25 m. and 3.60 m. north Allen Bros (Asphalting1 9,835.52 i of Bogan Gate. Contractors) Pty Ltd Jemalong . . Various . , Bitumen surfacing at various locations within the Allen Bros (Asphalting 13,667.66 I Shire. Contractors) Pty Ltd. Jindalee . . T.R.'s 78, 84' Bitumen surfacing at various locations . . . . Boral Road Services Pty 6,260.22 & 87. 1 Ltd. Kyogle , . . . D.R. I129 . . Construction of (a) 3 span reinforced concrete bridge1 Kennedy Bros 31,322.45 105 feet long over gully 23 m. from Casino and (b) 2 span reinforced concrete bridge 70 feet long over 1 gully 20 m. from Casino. Liverpool Plains T.R. 72 Construction of 9 span steel and reinforced concrete Central Constructions Ptyl 143,870.00 "i bridge489 feet long over the Mooki River at Breeza., Ltd. Lockhart . . T.R. 78 &: Bitumen surfacing between 19.15 m. and 28.78 m. Emoleum (Aust.) Ltd . . 12,794.30 M.R. 370. 1 from Kyeamba Shire Boundary on Trunk Road ! No. 78 and between 23.36 m. and 30.75 m. from 1 Narrandera Shire Boundary on Main Road No. 370. Murrumbidgee M.R. 321 . . Bitumen surfacing between 0.13 m. north and 5.10 m.1 Emoleum (Aust.) Ltd . . 8,442.19 south of Darlington Point. I Namoi . , . . T.R. 72 . . Bitumen surfacing between 26 m. and 36 m. south of1 Boral Road Services Pty 6,196. I2 Narrabri. Ltd. . Shorncliffe Pty Ltd 7,009.82 Talbragar . . M.R. 206 . .I Bitumen surfacing at various locations . . .I . Timbrebongie . . M.R. 347 . . ~ Bitumen surfacing between 2.30 m. and 5 m. north' Shorncliffe Pty Ltd . .I.' I 1,965. I9 from the Mitchell Highway. Tomki . . . . T.R. 83 . . Bitumen surfacing between 4.35 m. and 6.10 m. north i Boral Road Services Pty 7,795.76

~ of Casino. , Ltd. Tumut . . . ,I T.R. 85, Bitumen surfacing at various locations . . .. Boral Road Services Pty 20,352.97

~ M.R.'s 278 ~ Ltd. & 280. Urana . . . . M.R.'s 125, Bitumen surfacing at various locations . . , ,I Boral Road Services Pty 26,958.38 131, 323 &;I' Ltd. Wakool surfacing between 10.85 m. and 12.70 m. Emoleum (Aust.) Ltd . . 6,699. I7 and 14.30 m. and 15.45 m. north of Barham.

Walgett. . . . ~ S.H. 12 . . , Supply and delivery of 1,549 cubic yards of aggregate, Union Building Co. . . 12,430.72 ' between 5.20 m. and 10.90 m. east of Collarenebri.1 20,000.86 Waleett..I . . S.H. 12 ._I Bitumen surfacine between 5.20 m. and 10.90 m. east; Shorncliffe Pty Ltd . . I ' of Collarenebr; Yarrowlumla , ,' T.R. 52 . , Supply and delivery of 6,000 cubic yards of aggregate' Molongla Sand and 1 1,666.00 l between 10.40 m. and IO 90 m. and 11.45 m. and Gravel Pty Ltd. i 13.20 m. north of Queanbeyan. W&-ate . Aghway System. of the State of New South Wales

L

STATE HIGHWAYS. . , ...- DIVISIONAL BOUNDARIES . . - - - DIVISIONAL OFFICES. .... e Area of New South Wales. 309.433 square miles. Length of public roads within New South Wales, I3I.300 miles. MILEAGE OF MAIN AND DEVELOPMENTAL ROADS, AS AT 30thJUNE. 1965 State Mllhways ...... 6.531 Trunk Roads ...... 4,153 I: Maln Roads ...... 11.627 Secondary Roads (County of Cumberland only) ...... 133 Tourlst Roads ...... 100 Developmental Roads ...... 3.021 ~~ 21.650 UNCLASSIFIED ROADS, in Western part of State, I L. cornlng within the provisions of the Maln Roads Act ... 1.102 TOTAL,...... - 26,752

' .... Sydney: V. C. N. Blight. Cowmmcn -