1986: City of bridges

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Tags: construction, engineering, summer-2010

Chris Demartini. Image courtesy The Australian

Chris Demartini, BE Civil (hons)

Queenslanders now have twice as many reasons to be proud of an iconic Brisbane structure, thanks to engineering graduate Chris Demartini.

Mr Demartini was in charge of managing the design and construction of the second Gateway Bridge, which opened six months ahead of schedule in May.

Named the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge, it forms part of the $2.12 billion Gateway Upgrade Project (GUP), one of the largest road projects in Queensland’s history, covering 20km.

“Working on such an iconic bridge for Brisbane always makes it easier to come into work,” he said.

“However, the most enjoyable aspect has been working with a close-knit team that is passionate about what they are doing.”

Four lanes of the new bridge opened to southbound traffic in May and all six were operational in August.

The bridge includes a crossing for pedestrians and cyclists and can accommodate more than 100,000 vehicles per day.

Motivated by Brisbane’s progression and modernism, the bridge’s new connection route acts as a “gateway” and a symbol of the city’s future potential.

“This, coupled with the new stretch of motorway north to Nudgee Road and the upgraded motorway south to the Pacific Highway will mean significantly less congestion during peak time and reduced travel times for commuters,” Mr Demartini said.

Large projects often attract talented designers and Mr Demartini said he had an opportunity to work with and learn from world-class engineers from Scotland, France, Hong Kong, England and Malaysia.

Minimising environmental impact was an important design component, with more than 1.3 million predominantly native and drought-resistant plants brought on site.

The team employed wildlife spotters to survey all construction sites before construction began and implemented waste management and water conservation programs throughout.

Mr Demartini is also responsible for the upgrade of the old Gateway Bridge.

When refurbishment is completed in late 2010, there will be six northbound and six southbound lanes running between Eagle Farm and Murrarie.

By Allison Rock

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