LANITZA, NSW — Silverstrand has successfully completed the new Bluff Bridge on Orara Way in Lanitza, New South Wales, delivering the $11.6 million project for Clarence Valley Council under a design and construct contract.
The project replaced an ageing timber bridge with a new three-span Super-T girder bridge over the Orara River. The 100-metre-long bridge stands 18 metres above the river and was built alongside the existing bridge, allowing traffic to continue throughout the 15-month construction period.
The project was delivered to Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) specifications and involved significant earthworks, piling, bridge construction and roadworks. The team cleared 10,000 square metres of vegetation, completed 6,000 cubic metres of bulk earthworks and constructed more than 800 metres of new single-lane road pavement.
The bridge foundations included eight 1,200mm diameter bored cast-in-situ piles, founded 20 metres into sandstone, along with structural concrete abutments, piers and crossheads.
One of the major construction milestones was the installation of 15 Super-T girders, with spans of up to 36 metres. The heaviest girder weighed 78 tonnes and was lifted into place using a 750-tonne mobile crane and a 600-tonne crawler crane with a 200-tonne super lift.
“Handling lifts of this scale required careful planning and coordination across the entire site team,” said Colm Corbett, Operations Manager at Silverstrand.
The project also included a 1,200 square metre bridge deck, poured across three B80 concrete pours, 250 metres of DOLRE bridge barriers, 3,800 cubic metres of scour rock protection and 1,000 metres of W-beam guardrail.
Construction continued through two major flood events in 2025, requiring the team to adapt the works while maintaining access for the local community.
The project was completed with environmental rehabilitation works, including 1,200 square metres of turfing and 12,000 square metres of hydroseeding, followed by the safe demolition and salvage of the existing timber bridge.
The new Bluff Bridge now provides a safer and more reliable connection for the local community and replaces infrastructure that had served the area since the 1950s.
Delivered under a design and construct contract, the project involved building a three-span Super-T girder bridge over the Orara River beside the existing timber bridge, keeping traffic flowing for local communities. The scope included new road approaches, earthworks, bridge foundations, structural concrete, bridge installation, safety infrastructure, and environmental rehab.
