Light River Bridge Replacement

Located in Korunye between Adelaide and Crystal Brook, the Light River Rail Bridge — a 28m steel bridge constructed circa 1915 — had reached the end of its service life and required replacement.

Bardavcol, in partnership with Sterling Engineering, recently completed the design and construction of the new bridge for ARTC.

The works included removal of the existing structure and construction of a new 28m steel superstructure through-span bridge, supported by concrete piles and pile caps. The track is carried by ballast over precast concrete deck panels. The new bridge was designed to accommodate 300LA rail traffic load and provides a 100-year design life.

A major highlight of the project was the successful replacement of the bridge within a 60-hour rail shutdown window over the Easter weekend. The Bardavcol team worked tirelessly to remove the existing bridge and install the new structure, ensuring the track was re-opened on schedule.

The imagery showcases both the intensity of the shutdown works and the quality of the completed bridge. This project was a true team effort — with Bardavcol’s delivery team, our design partners at Sterling, our contractors, and the strong collaboration of our client, ARTC.

The replacement bridge design features:

• Structural Steel bridge superstructure 

• Track supported on a ballasted deck

• Handrail and walkway with bearing inspection platforms

• Reinforced concrete piled abutments

• Spherical bridge bearings

• Embankment Scour protection​​​​