Building bridges to a better future

A new pedestrian walkway is the latest addition to the Blacktown Hospital landscape thanks to a delicate lift operation conducted over the weekend.

Acute Services Building construction company AW Edwards lifted the 23-tonne bridge into place with the help of two cranes, a scissor lift and a crack team of expert crane operators, site staff and dogmen – specialist workers who guided the bridge into place.

The 19-metre long walkway will connect the main visitor car park to the Acute Services building when it opens in mid-2019, making pedestrian access simpler and easier.

“The bridge needed to be guided into place now, twelve months ahead of opening, to allow work to continue,” project director Chris Horton said.

“While people won’t be able to use the bridge until it opens with the new building next year, there’s a good view of it from the main entry, and from the visitor car park.

“It’s been a big couple of weeks for the construction team and they’ve done an outstanding job with these critical deliveries,” Chris said.

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The bridge lift comes after a week of major milestones on site, including delivering of the atrium palm trees, and the structural steel for the Lantern, a major artwork for the main foyer which will be covered in coloured glass.

For staff who can’t wait to get a first peek inside, Chris said staff tours are high on the agenda.

“The expansion will make Blacktown Hospital a major metropolitan hospital for western Sydney,” said Chris.

“As soon as the site is well-progressed enough for safe visits, we will be scheduling construction site tours so staff can see for themselves how exciting this expansion will be for them, and for the community.”

There will also be familiarisation tours for all staff next year as part of the commissioning of the hospital; an open day for the community is also being planned.

Fore more information about the project visit bmdhproject.health.nsw.gov.au