News

Strong progress is continuing at the new Albert Street station, with testing underway on a specialised flood barrier system designed to protect against a 1-in-10,000-year flood event.

While the station’s raised entrance level has been built above 1-in-100-year Brisbane River flood levels – higher than the 2011 and 2022 events – as its primary defence, an ingenious engineering solution has been built into the station as added protection.

Eighteen individual barriers across the site will keep Cross River Rail’s deepest station watertight against floods up to about 10.3 metres above street level – higher than any flood ever recorded in Brisbane.

The biggest and most iconic flood barrier is the huge 22-metre by 10-metre, nicknamed the “esky lid” at the main entrance, so called because it seals the gap over the station escalators that head down to the mezzanine and platform levels beneath Brisbane’s streets.

Ten individual modules make up the 80-tonne barrier, which when not in use is stowed in the ceiling of the station canopy where it’s designed to blend in.

In a flood event, the “esky lid” is lowered into place above the escalators under controlled conditions using an automated hoisting system and then clamped down to the surrounding walls by a team with hand tools.

With construction of the station’s 17-metre-high canopy completed, the “esky lid” is undergoing a comprehensive testing process alongside the station’s other flood protection barriers, which feature a mix of automatic and manual methods to cover doors and lifts to keep water out.

Cross River Rail Delivery Authority Program Director Jeremy Kruger said the flood protection system was designed specifically for the project’s deepest station in what has been a historically low-lying and flood-prone part of the city.

“While the station itself is already designed to withstand significant flood levels, this impressive additional system will protect the new underground station from flooding far beyond any level ever previously seen in the CBD,” he said.

Mr Kruger said installing the flood barrier system was a complex effort.

“During construction, the ‘esky lid’ was sitting on top of concrete walls that surround the escalators, which is where it will be deployed in a flood,” he said.

“But to install the architectural panels on the underside of the ‘esky lid’ so it would blend into the canopy ceiling, it needed to be lifted into its ‘stowed’ position.

“The mechanical hoisting system lifting the barrier is the same one that will be used during a flood, so seeing the barrier moved into place for construction is an exciting preview of how it will operate when it’s completed.”

Albert Street fast facts

• Construction completed on the station canopy, which is 22 metres wide, 42 metres long and rises 17 metres above Albert Street.
• The floor levels of both station entrances are above the 1-in-100-year Brisbane River flood event level – higher than the 2011 and 2022 floods.
• For added protection, 18 flood barriers will protect the station against a 1-in-10,000-year flood, more than 10 metres above street level.
• Biggest barrier is a 22m by 10m “esky lid” that can be deployed over the station’s main entrance.
• The “esky lid” weighs 80 tonnes and is stowed in the canopy when not in use.