$8.3b Sydney Metro Northwest

Why the $8.3b Sydney Metro Northwest rail link has a feel of the Anzac Bridge

THE fast developing rail bridge, similar to the Anzac Bridge, over Windsor Rd is the talking point of motorists and residents in Rouse Hill.

In all, 16 massive cables are being attached through pipes between each of the 45 metre tall towers and the deck, which is part of the $8.3 billion Sydney Metro Northwest rail link.

The pipes range between 15m and 62m long and are installed by cranes high above Windsor Rd.

According to Transport for NSW, the iconic structure is an Australian first — a cable-stayed railway bridge built on a curve.

Following the installation of the towers in May, the distinctive cables which will hold the bridge up are being set in place.

“This Australian-first bridge is not only a new landmark but also a critical piece of railway infrastructure that allows us to deliver metro services to all of Sydney,’ Transport Minister Andrew Constance said.

A few weeks ago, the last of the 9km of track and 9km of overhead wiring were put in place at Metro HQ in Rouse Hill, meaning the track laying is complete there.

The headquarters at Cudgegong Rd, Rouse Hill, will be the stabling yard of the massive project which, when completed in the first half 2019, will see trains running every four minutes in both directions.

The driverless trains will be maintained and cleaned at the Rouse Hill centre.

The completed railway tracks at the Rouse Hill facility sit on 11,500 sleepers and 26,000 tonnes of ballast.

The Windsor Road bridge was a design solution to community feedback which means any future upgrade of the Windsor Rd and Schofields Rd intersection will not be impacted by the new metro railway.

Sydney Metro services start in the first half of 2019 with a new metro train scheduled to run every four minutes in the peak.