NERANG RIVER RAILWAY BRIDGE Catwalk Queensland Rail was doubling the rail line between Helensvale and Robina. When the bridge was originally built a second line was anticipated and the supports designed to accommodate this — you can see this from the first photo. To drop the new beams onto the headstock to double the bridge meant that the headstocks had first to be prepared. To do this, workers had to have access without interrupting the train service — Queensland Rail was strong on this! This meant constructing a catwalk out of Aliscaff aluminium scaffolding to hang off the side of the bridge. We did not get this job at first... Someone else did and could not make a go of it! |
 Working platform Once the new beams had been placed on the headstocks they needed to get form workers in under the bridge to finish off the work. Barges were no good — the river is tidal. The only way a 125 metre long platform could be built under the bridge was to use Aliscaff aluminium scaffolding. We were asked if we could do it and of course we said Yes! It took some ingenuity, a bit of fabrication of new parts and some hard work. Didn’t even delay the trains! The bridge looks a bit like a hedgehog in the photos but we had one very happy contractor. |