The Eastern Freeway overpass is a realignment of pedestrian and cyclist desire lines.

Located in Abbotsford in Melbourne’s inner-east, the overpass collects movements from parklands adjoining the freeway and connects pedestrians to the residential areas to the other side of the freeway.

The design seizes the opportunity to respond to the project objectives of a gateway gesture at the driver’s freeway level and a civic gesture for pedestrians and cyclists at the elevated level of the bridge itself.

Comprising two spans of 80m and 60m, the bridge is a bold expression in structural steel that frames landmark views at each end. The twin oculi are thought of as precision elements that direct a highly choreographed view to the history and landscape of their context, concentrating the significance of the subject as if viewed through a lens or frame.

The horizontally oriented Collingwood Oculus focuses a panoramic view toward Dights Falls, a site which is rich with history both indigenous and European.