Ribcage and Cheesestick
Monday, 2nd October 2006 by Alex Turnbull
As visitors to Melbourne travel along the city's new CityLink motorway, they're confronted by 39 giant red poles lining the road, and an enormous yellow pillar tilted precariously over the traffic below. Officially named the 'Melbourne International Gateway', the locals have taken to calling these the Ribcage and Cheesestick.
I'm a little unclear as to what a 30 metre high ribcage and a 70 metre cheesestick are supposed to say about Melbourne, but it sure looks pretty cool.
A little further south there's also a huge semi-transparent tube built over the CityLink, which was designed to reduce noise pollution to nearby housing. Of course, the tube has earned its own nickname, having become known locally as "Jeff's condom" - after Jeff Kennett, the state Premier when the humungous sheath was built.
Thanks to Catherine.
About the author
Alex has decided that his title will be Senior Vice President of Stuff.
re: the condom
Thats where my CD Rack went!
Looks like Jeff likes the ribbed variety…
one of my regular photo spots
The Cheesestick is meant to represent the Victorian Gold-Rush and the Ribcage is meant to represent the Wheat Industry of Australia. Personally, I find them exceedingly ugly and a blight on the local landscape, they are far too bright and modern. The area is typically Beautiful Victorain Cottages dating back to the late 1800 Gold-Rush era.
The Cheesestick and Ribcage were meant to create a frame for the City of Melbourne, so that drivers on the highway ‘felt like they were passing through a Gateway to the City’. Unfortunately, CityLink could not quite create the effect and as such the sticks are sort of on the side of the road and are more of a distraction to drivers than an impressive monument to Melbourne.
The Condom is also a bit pathetic, the airbrakes of trucks can still be heard for miles around (as the road is elevated and slopes downhill).
You can see a new housing development being built directly on the left of the highway (where the orange and white boxes are) which will have absolutely no protection against the road noise (unless the condom was extended).
The housing development replaces an old ‘heritage’ paper factory (visible in GoogleMaps until recently) which ‘conveniently’ burnt down. The new ‘designer european’ apartments were started almost immediately after the rubble was cleared.
woowoowoo, that’s great photo.
Michael, thanks for the explanation . . . and the local knowledge! 😉
I wondered the same when I took this picture entering the expressway in Melbourne last year! Thanks for the post and info about the artwork! 🙂