Rob Carr awarded next stage of Melbourne CBD sewer upgrade

A map showing the alignment of the new sewer under Elizabeth Street.

Microtunnelling expert Rob Carr has been awarded the design and construct contract for the next stage of Greater Western Water’s CBD Sewer Augmentation Project focused on Elizabeth Street in the centre of Melbourne. The new contract follows the contractor’s successful delivery of the project’s previous package of work on adjacent Lonsdale Street.

The Elizabeth Street Sewer Upgrade is the third stage of Greater Western Water’s four-stage $80 million program to expand Melbourne CBD’s sewer system capacity. It will see a new pipeline constructed, linking to the new sewers, under Lonsdale and Spencer Streets, which were completed in earlier projects in November 2020 and December 2018, respectively.

The 723 m pipeline will be formed from OD 820 glass reinforced pipe (GRP) installed via microtunnelling between 6 m and 9 m below Elizabeth Street. In addition, eight GRP manholes will also be constructed along the route.

The street is one of the busiest in the city, linking the historic Flinders Street Station with the Queen Victoria Markets, as well as accommodating three busy tram routes. As a result, the project will require intricate traffic management and planning to ensure the project remains continuously operational and minimises disruptions to the community.

Rob Carr’s East Coast Operations Manager Justin Croucamp says the team is looking forward to working closely with design partner SMEC and Greater Western Water to deliver this important infrastructure for Melbourne.

Speaking in November last year about the completion of the Lonsdale Street stage of the CBD Sewer Augmentation Project, Greater Western Water Managing Director Maree Lang called the completion of the previous stage a significant step towards securing service reliability for the future.

“With the existing sewer over 120 years old, the new sewer pipe will help cater for the growing demands of the Melbourne CBD now and into the future,” says Lang.

“We sincerely thank the thousands of city residents, workers and commuters who adapted to the changed conditions while we carried out construction along Lonsdale Street. Your patience and understanding allowed us to provide this vital piece of infrastructure for Melbourne’s CBD.”

Work on the Elizabeth Street stage of the project is expected to begin in early 2022 and be completed by early 2023.

Rob Carr will construct the new sewer under Elizabeth Street in Melbourne CBD.

For more information visit www.robcarr.com.au