BESIX Watpac: Major milestone caps off mast of landmark Brisbane bridge

1 December 2023

Remarkable crane lift completed at Kangaroo Point Green Bridge with the 180 tonne mast head being lifted into place.

The heaviest crane lift has been completed at Brisbane City Council’s Kangaroo Point Green Bridge, a project being delivered by BESIX Watpac-led Connect Brisbane consortium, with the 180-tonne, 25-metre-tall mast head lifted into place this week, capping off the bridge’s impressive 95-metre-tall mast. Wade Cummins, BESIX Watpac’s General Manager for Queensland, Northern Territory and New Zealand said the successful arrival and lifting of the crane was the culmination of many months of planning.

“Reaching this milestone in the project is a great achievement for the project team and demonstrates BESIX Watpac’s capability to deliver large-scale and complex infrastructure,” Mr Cummins said.
“The Kangaroo Point Green Bridge is a symbol of BESIX Watpac’s team’s infrastructure capability.”

The lift was carried out by Marr Contracting’s M2480D tower crane – the world’s largest lifting capacity tower crane.

BESIX Watpac Project Director Rowan Riggall, highlighted the crucial role played by their in-house engineering team in selecting the M2480D tower crane as the optimal heavy lifting solution.

“Following a comprehensive evaluation of crane options, the team concluded that the M2480D tower crane was the most robust and efficient choice available in the Australian market for executing the intricate lift of the fully assembled mast head,” Mr Riggall said.
“It takes a great degree of innovative problem solving, and commitment to safety get this installation done correctly and our team has done a tremendous job.”

The Kangaroo Point Green Bridge project continues to redefine the boundaries of heavy lift engineering, exemplifying the collaboration and innovation at the core of Connect Brisbane's commitment to delivering a groundbreaking infrastructure project for the city.

Fast Facts

  • 25m tall, 146 tonne masthead (180 tonnes including temporary formwork)
  • Caps off the 95-metre-tall mast
  • Approx. 60% complete
  • Approx. 280m of 460m steel span modules completed between Central Business District and Kangaroo Point landings
  • More than 1,000 workers inducted
  • 400,000 hours completed
  • 26 First Nations People employed to date
  • 48 apprentices/trainees and 11 cadets/interns/undergraduates inducted