A structure in south western Sydney affectionately named after a 19th century children's toy was recently refurbished by Ventia Boral Amey Joint Venture (VBA JV) team.

Efforts to ensure the iconic 'Meccano Set' gantry remained on the Hume Highway at Landsdowne were driven by strong community feedback received by Roads and Maritime Services back in 2015. 

Our bridges and structures project team at the VBA JV commenced work on the 'Meccano Set' in January this year, with works completed early June.

The structure is affectionately named after the children's toy invented in 1892 by Frank Hornby, some 70 years before this Western Sydney traffic gantry was built.

The structure, weighing around 25 tons, sits over the intersection of the Hume Highway, Woodville Road and Henry Lawson Drive, and 80,000 drivers pass through the intersection daily. 

Project Engineer Daniel Lee notes that this was a challenging project as they needed to replicate a structure built six decades ago. 

"We were looking at almost 60-year-old workmanship in the imperial measurement system," Daniel says. "Technology was relatively basic back then compared to the computer-controlled machines we have today."

The latest 3D surveying technology was used to scan the existing structure to create accurate drawings from which to fabricate the new structure. 
 
The whole team managed the project with safety top of mind and achieved installation with minimal impact on traffic and the local environment.

This is the first facelift the structure has seen in 57 years. 

The VBA JV team undertake a project of this scale at least once a year. Around 80 skilled engineers and laborers from across the joint venture and their supply chain partners were involved in this particular project.

Read more about our VBA JV Stewardship Maintenance Contract here.