Roads Australia
Today’s Courier Mail reports on a State Government concept for a fourth major road tunnel for Brisbane.
The Courier says the tunnel concept, included in a Western Brisbane Transport Strategy released today (see story below), would link the Centenary Highway underground from Toowong to Everton Park.
However the paper’s editorial writer is critical of the strategy, claiming its true purpose is to kill-off any future western bypass road.
In other news, the Australian Financial Review reported this week on a study by Evans and Peck that proposes that Sydney’s toll road owners should consolidate their assets into a PPP capable of carrying debt to fund new road infrastructure.
And the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the NSW Centre for Road Safety believes the economic downturn is contributing to the State’s road toll, putting pressure on drivers to work harder, start earlier and drive faster.
The NSW RTA has shortlisted two consortiums to build the eastern section of the Hunter Expressway.
Those asked to participate in the next stage of the selection process are:
Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese, said this week that after a further detailed assessment process, the final tender will be awarded to one of these consortiums later this year, with construction expected to start on the 14-kilometre eastern section in early 2010.
The new four-lane, $1.7 billion Hunter Expressway will be constructed under two contracts, with the eastern section (F3 Freeway to Kurri Kurri) to be built under an alliance and the western section (Kurri Kurri to Branxton) under a design and construct contract.
In July the RTA invited interest from the construction industry for the design and construction of the 26-kilometre western section.
“The applications received at that time are currently being assessed by the RTA, with a shortlist to be finalised by December and the tender awarded by mid 2010,” NSW Transport Minister, David Campbell, said this week.
“In the meantime, the RTA will finalise the necessary property acquisitions and the relocation of utilities.”
In other NSW road news, a new 7.5 kilometre section of the upgraded Pacific Highway between Bulahdelah and Nerong opened this week.
Two consortiums have been invited to participate in the second stage of the alliance selection for the Kemspey Bypass, it was announced last week.
The two are:
The 14.5 kilometre Kempsey Bypass will expand the Pacific Highway from South Kempsey to Frederickton to a four-lane highway.
NSW Minister for Transport, David Campbell, says the Kempsey Bypass will be delivered by:
“This combination of an alliance agreement and a design and construct contract will ensure the project is delivered as quickly as possible,” Mr Campbell says.
“Stage two of the alliance selection process includes workshops and interviews to determine the most suitable applicant, which we expect to announce towards the end of the year.
“The design and construct contract for the main bridges over the Macleay River and floodplain will go to tender early next year.
“Construction work is expected to start in the first half of 2010 with the project scheduled for completion in 2014.”
Construction companies have until October 16 to submit bids to build the Douglas Arterial Duplication, in north Queensland.
The Douglas Arterial Duplication is being jointly fund by the Federal and State governments, with each contributing $55 million.
Queensland Main Roads Minister, Craig Wallace, said last week his department had been able to make good progress with pre-construction work.
“These early works began in January and included geotechnical investigations, drilling foundations for the four bridges on the project and preliminary planning and design activities,” Mr Wallace said.
“This work will increase the current two lane Douglas Arterial section of the Townsville Ring Road to four lanes, supporting population growth and road infrastructure demands in the region.
“We will continue to work closely with our federal colleagues to maximise the benefits to Queensland and the national economy through employment opportunities generated on our road infrastructure projects.”
Major construction is scheduled to commence early 2010 and be completed in 2012, weather permitting.
In other Queensland news, contractors have been invited to bid for the design and delivery of the realignment of the Bruce Highway north of the Cardwell Range.
Mr Wallace said the 4.2 kilometre Cardwell Range realignment project will start approximately 15 kilometres north of Ingham.
“We’re anticipating some very competitive tenders for this project and we should be in a position to select the two best proposals by the end of November, and then choose the successful contractor by the end of March 2010,” the Minister said.
Elsewhere, early works for the final stage of the $154 million Gold Coast Highway upgrade in Labrador have begun this week.
The Queensland Government has today released a long-term sustainable transport vision for western Brisbane's transport network that includes a future north - south motorway and inner orbital tunnel.
Transport Minister, Rachel Nolan, says the Western Brisbane Transport Network Strategy will form a planning blueprint for all levels of government in creating an integrated transport network of rail, bus, road, freight, walking and cycling over the next 20 years.
“There is no shortage of transport infrastructure projects taking place across Brisbane but until this document there wasn’t a unifying or underlying planning blueprint to tie it altogether in the western region,” Ms Nolan said.
“This strategy gives western Brisbane a long-term, coordinated transport plan which embodies sustainable or ‘green’ transport principles.”
Ms Nolan says there are four key components to the strategy: rail, bus priority, active transport choices and a future north-south motorway.
In relation to road transport, the Strategy supports the need for Brisbane City Council’s proposed Northern Link tunnel and it proposes a longer term road connection from the Ipswich Motorway at Darra to the Bruce Highway, including a motorway tunnel linking Toowong to Everton Park.
“It rules out once and for all the much-talked about Western Brisbane Bypass,” Ms Nolan said.
The Western Brisbane Transport Network Strategy is available at www.transport.qld.gov.au/wbtni
The Kwinana Freeway extension and Forrest Highway in WA officially opened last weekend - three months ahead of schedule.
Constructed by the Southern Gateway Alliance (Leighton Contractors, WA Limestone and GHD working with Main Roads WA), the new 70.5 kilometre road linking Perth and Bunbury is one of the largest road infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the State.
It is designed to provide better driving conditions and cut travel times by up to 30 minutes for the 30,000 motorist expected to use it each day. It will also take the pressure off other routes, including the Old Coast Road and South Western Highway.
The $705 million, three-year project was jointly funded by the Federal ($330 million) and Western Australian ($375 million) governments.
Engineering construction activity is set to decline 15 per cent over the next two years despite Federal Government stimulus and the likely start of work on the massive Gorgon LNG project, according to leading industry analyst and economic forecaster, BIS Shrapnel.
In an update to its Engineering Construction in Australia, 2008/09 – 2022/23 report, BIS Shrapnel says the fall in work done will be driven by a 25 per cent decline in privately funded work over the next two years.
The company warns that as the current round of projects – predominantly in mining and related sectors – are completed, there will be fewer projects ready to take their place.
“While the outlook for the global economy has improved during 2009, we are still forecasting a substantial setback to minerals investment over the next one to two years given the ongoing credit squeeze and global slump in industrial production,” says Adrian Hart, Senior Manager for BIS Shrapnel’s Infrastructure and Mining Unit.
“Even including work starting on the Gorgon LNG project in the first half of 2010, mining and heavy industry construction is set to decline by one-third over 2009/10 and 2010/11.”
Apart from mining and heavy industry, BIS Shrapnel is forecasting a slump in privately funded work over the next two years for other infrastructure sectors including roads, railways, ports and electricity.
Privately funded road construction will be adversely impacted by the winding down or completion of large toll road projects in Brisbane as well as a setback to mining access road and subdivision construction, while railway and port activity will be affected by the completion of a raft of bulk commodity and container port developments.
Mr Hart says the coming downturn in private investment justifies the need for governments to stay the course on their own spending and investment plans for at least for the next two years.
“There seems to be a perception that, having enjoyed an unprecedented boom over the past eight years, private funding for infrastructure will simply accelerate again from here, despite an ongoing financial crisis and the biggest global economic slump since World War II,” says Hart.
“To the contrary, the next 12 to 18 months are going to see a sharp setback to privately funded construction work – both in engineering construction and non-residential building – as the fallout from the financial crisis comes through.”
Mr Hart says that given in 2008/09 the private sector funded nearly two-thirds of all civil construction activity, which was worth around $44 billion in constant 2006/07 prices, declining activity from this sector will have substantial impact on overall activity.
“In this environment, it would be prudent for governments around Australia to continue to spend and invest to minimise the impact of the downturn on jobs and economic growth.”
According to the updated forecasts, BIS Shrapnel expects a sustained recovery in privately-funded engineering construction activity from 2012, contingent on a full resolution of credit problems and a pick-up in global economic growth.
This, says Mr Hart, would present governments an opportunity to begin winding back their stimulus measures.
The Victorian Government has this month commenced a two-year trial of longer B-double trucks, aimed at significantly improving the way goods are moved around the state.
Roads Minister, Tim Pallas, said the Next Generation High Productivity Freight Vehicle Trial would keep the trucks on selected key routes in a move that would considerably reduce the number of freight vehicles on Victorian roads.
The trial allows B-doubles, capable of carrying two 40-foot containers, on to key metropolitan freeways that link the Port of Melbourne with major industrial areas in the west and north of Melbourne, and certain roads around Portland in south-western Victoria.
“Victoria’s freight task is expected to double in the next 20 years and High Productivity Freight Vehicles (HPFV) could be an important way to tackle that freight task, reduce traffic congestion, reduce emissions and keep the cost of our goods down,” Mr Pallas said.
The Minister said road safety would also be improved with the trial vehicles having to pass 16 rigorous road safety standards, including ABS brakes requirements and front, side and rear under-run protection, as part of the national Performance-Based Standards process.
“Monitoring of vehicle operations will also occur as an important part of the trial through the Intelligent Access Program, innovative GPS technology that will ensure the longer B-doubles stay on pre-approved routes,” he said.
“Breaches would be investigated by VicRoads, with transgressions potentially resulting in sanctions and the loss of permits worth millions of dollars. Operators guilty of breaches, including being off-route, could also face fines up to $130,000.
“Operators will also have to participate in the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) - Mass Management Module, to ensure that vehicles are correctly and legally loaded.”
For more information and to download the guidelines go to the VicRoads website.
The 2009 AAPA International Flexible Pavements Conference takes place next month at Surfers Paradise.
The conference, to be held at Marriott Resort from October 11 to 14, features 48 speakers from a dozen countries, including Dr Randy West, Director, National Centre for Asphalt Technology, USA and Alan Tesch, Chairman Austroads and Associate Director-General of the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads.
For all the information on the Conference, including on-line registration details, go to the conference website.
Submitted by Mark Bowmer on Friday September 25th 2009 2:52pm
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