This new expressway creates a safer, more efficient freight transport route, cuts travel times between major urban hubs, and reduces the traffic burden on regional highways and local roads
Latter Rain was brought in to handle one of the more challenging bridges, a 5 span, 156m incrementally launched concrete box girder, launched on a combined horizontal and vertical curve. Following is a testimony by the senior design engineer on the bridge, Ian Camilleri:
“As in my experience with Arup, I was commissioned by BG&E Sydney office to pre-qualify them onto the RMS Small and Complex Bridge Design Panels and elevate their design standing in the Bridge Design market, which I did. My previous alliance with Latter Rain Bridge Drafting with Arup continued when shortfalls in drafting capability of BG&E arose. BG&E were brought into the Hunter Alliance to deliver a complex 5 span incrementally launched PT box culvert bridge which spiraled over the Sydney-Newcastle Expressway on the Hunter Expressway. The complex and technically demanding construction geometry needed to be provided by BG&E under the design and construct contract and only in successfully doing so made this structure a successful physical reality. I once again engaged Latter Rain to do what was going to be a very challenging task that involved taking the documentation of a first of its kind bridge up to 80% design (this is the first NSW bridge with non-concentric prestress during launching) whilst simultaneously completing final design along with very complex geometry. The Latter Rain Drafting team worked long days in a very demanding project environment to meet every deadline in the design and construct project. Their drawing standards through the many design revisions necessary to best suit and fine tune construction were impeccable and their geometry was faultless in their excellent efforts to be an integral member of the design team. These valuable qualities again significantly impacted on the project success.”