NEWS
WORKS BEGIN FOR QUEENSLAND’S COOMERA CONNECTOR PROJECT
Enabling works have begun on the northern section between Coomera and Helensville.
Enabling works have begun on the northern section between Coomera and Helensville, marking the start of Stage One works on the $2.16 billion Coomera Connector in Queensland. By constructing additional crossings of the Coomera and Nerang rivers, the first stage of construction will aim to
reduce pressure on the M1 by providing an alternative route for the growing communities and commercial hubs of Helensvale and Coomera. Acciona Construction Australia and Georgiou Group Joint Venture, with WSP and BG&E as the designers, are undertaking the enabling works for the project, while also working on finalising the design. The project is also set to provide improved connections and accessibility to more transport options on the northern Gold Coast. Coomera Connector Stage One is around 16 kilometres and will be delivered in three construction packages. These include Stage One North (Shipper Drive, Coomera to Helensvale
Road, Helensvale), Stage One Central (Helensvale Road, Helensvale to Smith Street Motorway, Molendinar) and Stage One South (Smith Street Motorway, Molendinar to Nerang-Broadbeach Road, Nerang). Construction of the Stage One North section is expected to support 1000 jobs over the project’s life. Main construction on the Coomera Connector Stage One North structures will start once all environmental and project approvals are in place, expected from mid-2022. The Federal and Queensland governments have committed a total of $2.16 billion on a 50:50 basis to plan and build Stage One of the Coomera Connector.
UGL TAKES OVER NSW’S COUNTRY RAIL NETWORK As a major milestone for New South Wales’ regional rail network, UGL Regional Linx (UGLRL) has begun its 10year tenure as the custodians of Country Regional Network’s (CRN’s) around 5500 kilometres of railway infrastructure. UGLRL won a $1.5 billion contract with Transport NSW early last year, allowing the company to take over the operation and maintenance of the rail assets, which link broad areas of regional NSW to interstate and metropolitan rail systems. The firm, a branch of asset management company UGL which is owned by international firm CIMIC Group, takes over from John Holland, which held the rail maintenance contract for the previous 10 years. The CRN covers 27,000 hectares of land and infrastructure, including 1200 property assets and almost 1000 bridges. UGLRL’s CEO John Pistak said he was looking forward to a new era for the CRN. “The CRN is a crucial link between rural, regional and metropolitan communities, and we are ready to roll out our significant skills to operate and maintain 6
ROADS MARCH 2022
it,” Mr Pistak said. CEO Country Regional Network at John Holland Rail Matt Jones said the company was proud to have operated and maintained the CRN over the past decade. “John Holland has transformed the CRN over the past decade, introducing new technology, network-wide upgrades and enhancements, delivering significant safety, reliability and operational
UGL Regional Linx has taken over the operation and maintenance of NSW’s country regional network.
improvements for rail customers and regional communities,” Mr Jones said. The CRN includes the regional rail lines that connect to the Australian Rail Track Corporation’s national network and the Sydney Trains network. It comprises more than 2,400 kilometres of operational rail lines, more than 3,100 kilometres of non-operational lines, and hundreds of bridges and property assets such as stations.
