Nexus Toowoomba Second Range Crossing
Nexus
Australia’s landmark road proje
ect
T
he Toowoomba Second Range Crossing (TSRC) in Queensland is the largest Australian Government funding commitment to a single road project in Queensland’s history. At a cost of $1.6 billion, the project is a 43km road bypass route to the north of Toowoomba. It is being built to connect the Warrego Highway at Helidon Spa in the east to the Gore Highway at Athol in the west via Charlton. The route is designed to increase freight efficiencies and significantly improve driver safety and community amenity by removing heavy vehicles from Toowoomba’s CBD. This safer, faster and more efficient route for connecting freight to major ports and markets, cuts out 18 sets of traffic lights, vehicles go around north of Toowoomba rather than through it.Travel time for heavy commercial vehicles will be reduced by up to 40 minutes. The project will also deliver enhanced liveability in the Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley areas. It is jointly funded
by the Australian and Queensland Governments on an 80:20 funding split arrangement. Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss’s words encapsulate the significance of this project. “It will give the city back to the people, rather than having to share it with large numbers of trucks making their way through the city on journeys to other parts of the country,” he said. “That one of the major streets of a city of this size has been used as the major transport route is clearly an unsatisfactory situation from a social and economic perspective.” Benefits of the TSRC The benefits of the TSRC are wide ranging. It is estimated to bring in $2.4 billion over 30 years of economic and productivity gain for business and industry to Toowoomba. Construction began in late 2015 and is expected to take three years using a Public Private Partnership delivery model.
Under this model, the State Government will provide upfront government funding contributions during the construction stage of the project and ongoing service payments over the 25 year operation and maintenance stage, which will be dependent on performance. When complete, the TSRC will be a toll road, with the structure and tariff rates to be set after consultation with industries and the community in 2018. Nexus Infrastructure In order to deliver a project that would suit every need, an extensive evaluation process considering financial, technical, commercial and legal criteria was undertaken when choosing who would be awarded the tender. Nexus is a consortium of global leaders in road
construction and public infrastructure, combined with Queensland based resources with a successful track record of local project delivery. The proposed solution for the highway is detailed below: • Four lanes (two lanes each way) from Warrego Highway East Interchange at Helidon to • Warrego Highway West at Charlton • Grade-separated interchanges at Warrego Highway West, Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road and Gore Highway • Grade-separated connections to Mort Street and Boundary Street • A 30m-deep cutting at the top of the Toowoomba Range as an alternative to the tunnel solution as detailed in the reference design
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• An 800m-long viaduct built over the existing Queensland Rail rail line, connecting the Lockyer Valley and the Toowoomba Range escarpment • Continuity of the New England Highway through a new bridge over the cutting. An important factor was that the Nexus design incorporated the open cut solution as opposed to a tunnel, which although part of the original design did not allow for the passage of some dangerous goods and over-dimensional heavy vehicles. The proposed open cut solution in Nexus’ provides a better outcome.
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A ‘greater connection’ Improving liveability in the region is just one important factor of the TSRC. For the government, it was paramount that regional economic development would be a consideration. This includes employment and supply chain opportunities for local companies as well as training and skills development. During the three year Design and Construction Phase, Nexus Infrastructure are committed to sourcing local suppliers and sub-contractors from the greater Toowoomba region, which includes the Lockyer Valley, Southern Downs, Western Downs, South Burnett, Goondiwindi and Mara. Keeping the community informed of every step of the project has also been a priority. To this end, Nexus have cooperated with stakeholder groups, landholders, businesses and government authorities as the project progresses. Although a labour intensive process, reducing the impact on the local environment is an important consideration. Minimising pollution of land, air and water, minimising the occurrence of offensive noise and continuously improving environmental performance. For the local area, the project has been a longtime in the pipeline and now just 18 months or so from completion residents and business alike can look forward to the road opening. “We are determined that it is a good project, and a wellmanaged one, that the community will be proud of,” adds Mr Truss. “This is a project that has been dreamed of for decades, and has been promised for 40 or 50 years, but at last is being delivered.”
Oliver Moy Publisher For enquiries email okm@aubusinesscoverage.com