QLD: Brisbane bridges safe from runaway ships

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2010
QLD: Brisbane bridges safe from runaway ships

BRISBANE, April 18 AAP - Brisbane's Gateway Bridge and its soon-to-be-opened duplicate
are protected from being hit by a ship, says Roads Minister Craig Wallace after near miss
involving a cruise ship.

The Pacific Dawn cruise ship was stopped by tug boats just 70 metres shy of bridge
piers last Saturday after losing power on the Brisbane River.

Mr Wallace on Sunday said the bridges had protection panels and arrester islands to
stop boats hitting the piers.

"Construction engineers have confirmed that even an out-of-control cruise ship poses
no threat to Gateway motorists, with new and improved collision prevention," he said.

Mr Wallace said bridge designers had mapped "endless" scenarios, including a runaway
70,000 tonne cruise ship.

"When complete, 80,000 cubic metres of rock will have been distributed around the piers
of the new and existing Gateway bridges, just below the low-tide mark to form the ship
arrester islands," he said.

Mr Wallace said the arrester islands are a barrier preventing even the largest vessels
from coming anywhere near the bridge piers.

The original six-lane Gateway Bridge is 1.6km long and 64.5m high.

Four lanes of the duplicate will open to traffic in late May.

All six southbound lanes on the new bridge will be open by August, and a community
open day will be staged on May 16.

AAP dac/

KEYWORD: BRIDGE

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