Bolte Bridge
Melbourne, Australia
Transurban CityLink
Project 1995 – 1999
The Bolte Bridge was constructed as part of the CityLink project; a ‘Gateway’ to Melbourne and a series of tollroads and tunnels completing an inner ring road.
The bridge is 490 metres long and consists of twin in-situ pre-stressed concrete box girders with two main spans of 173 metres and side spans of 72 metres.
The visual composition consists of two simple gestures: a blade leaping across the river, and two slender silver sticks, 120 metre high, marking the centre point and proclaiming the presence of the bridge across the city.
These huge sticks are not joined to the main body of the bridge, they are symbolic portals and city scale companions to the Gateway.
Bridge cantilevers are expressed as red wedges and, with the metallic silver aerofoil edge and closely spaced blue-white lights, draw an elegant and distinctive line across the Yarra River.
