Australasian Project of the year award

14/12/2020

Downer's DM Roads business and the teams from the North Eastern Maintenance Alliance (NEMA) and partners in Department of Transport (DoT) have won the 2020 International Association for Public Participation industry award for the Australasian Project of the year.

The team won in the Disaster and Emergency Services Category for their work on the Golden Ball Bridge Project in 2018/2019.

This highly coveted award is a great recognition and celebration of exceptional teamwork and an acknowledgement of outstanding commitment to the community.

In December 2018, a deluge of rain and flash flooding damaged the bridge pillars and the abutment was washed out, threatening the structural integrity of the bridge. NEMA assisted in the emergency response, acting quickly to put traffic management and detours in place.

The NEMA team worked with DoT and the Downer bridge crew to install a single lane Bailey bridge, as a temporary solution for commuters. This maintained the vital connection to the Beechworth township and surrounding communities ensuring the local community and businesses were supported during their peak tourist season. 

A thorough investigation and design analysis was carried out prior to the extensive and complex rebuilding of the bridge.

Major work saw the excavation and removal of damaged material to allow a mass concrete pier to be constructed around the existing driven piles. Ten tonne culverts were installed to reinforce the structural integrity and increase drainage capacity to prevent future flood damage.

The bridge was fully reopened in time for the 2019 Easter long weekend. A great testament to our collaborative work with DoT and all of the stakeholders involved, to achieve improved outcomes for the community.