1 ACT Bus Passenger Station/Stop Design Guidelines Final Report May 25 2006 Prepared by: McCormickRankinCagney www.mrcagney.com consultants in transportation www.mrcagney.com Project Title and Description Document Information: Client Department of Public Works Job Number 3209 Title Kurilpa Bridge – Over Height Vehicles: Review of Risk Management Strategies Status Final Prepared by McCormick Rankin Cagney Pty Ltd Brisbane Queensland in conjunction with Parsons Brinckerhoff. Date 7 April 2009 Quality Assurance Register Issue Description Prepared Authorised ByByBy Date ByByBy Date a Draft GR 05/04 1 Final GR 07/04 GR 07/04 This document and information contained herein is the intellectual property of McCormick Rankin Cagney Pty Ltd (MRC) and is solely for the use of MRC’s contracted client. This document may not be used, copied or reproduced in whole or part for any purpose other than that for which it was supplied, without the written consent of MRC. MRC accepts no responsibility to any third party who may use or rely upon this document. Kuripla Bridge - Over Height Vehicles Review of Risk Management Strategies .doc: 7/04/2009 Table of Contents 1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................1 2. Regulated Dimension Vehicles and Excess Dimension Vehicles ..........................................3 3. Current Traffic Arrangement................................................................................................5 4. Kuripla Bridge Design..........................................................................................................6 5. Approach Routes and Height Clearances ...........................................................................7 6. Assessment of Risk...........................................................................................................10 7. Mitigation Options .............................................................................................................11 7.1 Options Considered .............................................................................................. 11 8. Recommendations............................................................................................................15 Appendix A Drawings illustrating the Kurilpa Bridge height clearance to Riverside Expressway (provided by the Contractor) Appendix B Figure 1 Height clearance of adjacent bridge structures Figure 2: William Jolly Bridge Survey (Source: Main Roads) Appendix C Dwg 3209 – 01 Issue C: North Quay Barrier – Option 1 Kuripla Bridge - Over Height Vehicles Review of Risk Management Strategies .doc: 7/04/2009 1 1. Introduction The State Government is currently constructing a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the Brisbane River. The bridge is to be known as the ‘Kurilpa Bridge’. The bridge will extend from Tank St on the northern side of the river to Montague Rd on the south side. The bridge crosses both North Quay and the Riverside Expressway. Construction is well advanced with the bridge expected to be opened by September 2009. The bridge essentially has two structural elements. Across the first three eastbound lanes of North Quay the bridge comprises a concrete structure. Across the two other eastbound traffic lanes of North Quay, which connect directly onto the Riverside Expressway, and across the four westbound traffic lanes of the Riverside Expressway the bridge comprises of a tensegrity structure which is a relatively light weight structure. The divergence of the middle lane along North Quay, created as a temporary construction detour for the construction of the S1 sewer in around 1999, means that traffic from any lane on North Quay could pass under the tensegrity structure. It is understood that the tensegrity structure does not have the resistance characteristics of a typical concrete bridge structure if struck by a moving vehicle. As such the unique design of the tensegrity structure has raised questions from a risk management perspective including: What height clearance is appropriate to minimise or mitigate the probability that the ‘tensegrity’ structure being struck by a vehicle? If struck, under what circumstances would the damage be minor or catastrophic? Even if only minor damage was to occur could there be loss of life? and Even if only minor damage was to occur could the repair of the minor damage require closure of the Riverside Expressway for lengthy periods creating operational stress on the city’s inner road network? The three day forced closure of the Ann St on-ramp to the expressway in 2006 highlighted the importance of the expressway to the operational performance of the inner city network. On 8 May 2007 the Department of Main Roads (‘Main Roads’) advised the Department of Publics Works that the minimum clear vertical height clearance under the bridge, where it crossed the expressway was to be 5.3m. Main Roads also indicated in the same correspondence that a reduced vertical clearance of 4.8m would be permitted subject to the provision of an early warning height barrier and positive stop barrier. While surveys have confirmed that the Main Roads’ minimum height clearance has been achieved (ie 5.551m height clearance at southern edge line Ann Street on-ramp lane and 5.692m at the at edge line of the southern North Quay lane), Main Roads has requested Kuripla Bridge - Over Height Vehicles Review of Risk Management Strategies .doc: 7/04/2009 2 implementation of permanent measures to eliminate the possibility of a vehicle striking the tensegrity structure. Measures proposed by Main Roads include erection of permanent stop barriers; devices which have the ability to stop a 45t vehicle travelling at a speed of 60km/h. Main Roads has completed preliminary design of two permanent stop barriers to be located in North Quay, between Herschel St and Tank St and on the Ann St on-ramp to the expressway. With construction of the tensegrity structure over the expressway nearing completion, Main Roads will be erecting, by 17 April 2009, signage warning motorists of the vertical height clearances. The signs will specify the height limits on the North Quay and Ann St approach to the Kurilpa Bridge, which are actually governed by the height of existing structures either side of the Kurilpa Bridge - 5.0m at the William Jolly Bridge (westbound) and 4.3m at the Turbot St overpass (eastbound). As part of a review of mitigation measures a workshop was conducted between Main Roads and the Department of Public Works on Monday 23 March 2009 to discuss the range of strategies to mitigate the possibility of an over height vehicle making contact with the tensegrity structure The outcome of the workshop was to prepare this report with recommendations as to the mitigation strategies to be implemented prior to the opening of the Kurilpa Bridge. For the purpose of this report the term ‘over height vehicle’ includes: Rigid and articulated vehicles; Vehicles with an indivisible or divisible load including construction vehicles carrying equipment or small machinery; and Cranes and the associated booms. The report is for consideration by the Steering Committee overseeing the construction of the Kurilpa Bridge. Accordingly this report summarises the following: Legislation relevant to the over dimensional vehicles; Existing traffic arrangement on North Quay and the Expressway; Design aspects of the bridge; Approach routes an over dimensional vehicle could use to come in contact with the bridge; An assessment of the risk of a vehicle striking the Kurilpa Bridge; The options considered for mitigating the risk; Recommendations. Kuripla Bridge - Over Height Vehicles Review of Risk Management Strategies .doc: 7/04/2009 3 2. Regulated Dimension Vehicles and Excess Dimension Vehicles The regulated dimensions of vehicles permitted on Queensland roads are specified in Part 3 of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management: Mass, Dimensions and Loading) Regulation 2005 . Clause 26, Division 2 of Part 3 of the regulation states that: A person must not drive a vehicle on a road if the vehicle is higher than- (a) for a vehicle built to carry cattle, horses, pigs pr sheep – 4.6m; or (b) for a vehicle built with a least 2 decks for carrying vehicles when carrying a vehicle on the upper deck – 4.6m; or (c.) for a double decker bus – 4.4m; or (d) for another vehicle - 4.3m Queensland Transport is the State government agency responsible for the management of vehicles travelling on Queensland roads including vehicles with excess dimensions and/or excess mass. The Queensland Transport document G uideline for Excess Dimension Vehicles in Queensland (Carrying Indivisible Articles and Special Purpose Vehicles ) is applicable for vehicles with a maximum length of 25m, a maximum width of 3.5m and a maximum height of 4.8m (which is only applicable to trailer combination vehicles operating on approved road train routes). The height limit applicable for all other over dimension vehicles is 4.6m. Section 8.5. City of Brisbane of the Queensland Transport document relates to travel restrictions of all vehicles (covered by the guide). Clause 8.5.1 states that: A person must not drive an oversize vehicle or combination on the following roads: (a) Pacific Motorway north of the intersection with Gateway Motorway; or (b) The Riverside Expressway; or (c.) Western Arterial Road from Miskin Street, Toowong to Stafford Road….…..; or (d) Houghton Highway. Kuripla Bridge - Over Height Vehicles Review of Risk Management