AAL Shipping has completed delivery of all 188 North East Link bridge segments from China to Melbourne. The steel sections were transported on nine consecutive voyages over almost a year.
The prefabricated cargo totalled 60,500 revenue tonnes. Its largest section was 48.6 metres in length, with a width of 6.9 metres and height of 3.3 metres, and weighed up to 113 tonnes.
According to AAL’s transport completion announcement, the carrier coordinated the shipments with Eastern Freeway Burke to Tram Alliance (EBTA), the principal contractor. Cargo was loaded in China at Taicang and unloaded in Melbourne at Appleton Terminal and Webb Dock.
All cargo carried on deck was washed with fresh water before each arrival in Melbourne. AAL said it met the project’s biosecurity and zero-damage requirements throughout the operation.
Vessel capacity had to be arranged at short notice as the programme progressed. Typhoons, strong winds, thick fog and congested ports complicated scheduling, while AAL’s Shanghai team adjusted to changes in the construction timetable. The company reported minor delays linked to typhoons.
The shipments required heavy-lift capability, adaptable stowage arrangements and coordination across the supply chain, according to AAL’s Australian chartering manager, Chris Yabsley. The carrier has also recently transported components of tunnel boring machines for the Suburban Rail Loop project in Victoria.
