The 10 tower cranes at the new Footscray Hospital in Melbourne, Australia are starting to come down as the construction site reaches its maximum height.
Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews toured the site with Minister for Health Infrastructure Mary-Anne Thomas as the site, playing host to the largest number of cranes onsite at one time in the Southern Hemisphere, hit the completion of structural works on the main hospital tower.
“These iconic cranes have graced Footscray’s skyline for the past couple of years,” said Andrews, “and now they’ll start coming down, meaning we’re one step closer to delivering the new Footscray Hospital.”
With the first three buildings in the precinct topped out earlier this year, the hospital’s main clinical buildings are the latest to reach the milestone, including the 10-storey inpatient unit (IPU) tower. The IPU tower along Geelong Road will include the new emergency department, more than 500 beds and feature a garden at the end of each wing where patients can enjoy views across Melbourne.
“Our biggest hospital project under construction is now structurally complete,” said Mary-Anne Thomas. “In just two years, families and our dedicated healthcare workers in the west will have access to the very best facilities.”
With more than two million hours of work carried out and more than 150,000 tonnes of concrete poured onsite to complete the structure of the new hospital, works will now focus on the façade and internal fit-out of the hospital as it moves towards completion in 2025.
To date, the project has seen more than 125,000 hours completed by apprentices, trainees or cadets, and more than 245,000 hours have been completed by disadvantaged Victorians.
Once completed the new Footscray Hospital will treat almost 15,000 more patients and allow 20,000 extra people to be seen by the emergency department each year.
READ MORE: Three tower cranes installed at Sydney Fish Market site.