New Gateway to Perth delivers sustainable road legacy for future generations

New Gateway to Perth delivers sustainable road legacy for future generations

The Gateway WA Perth Airport and Freight Access Project has achieved the second highest Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) rating for a completed infrastructure construction project in Australia.

The $1 billion project, which provided work for more than 600 local subcontractors and suppliers, was awarded an 'Excellent' IS As Built rating by the prestigious Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA).

ISCA CEO Antony Sprigg was delighted to present the Gateway WA Alliance with their 'Excellent' rating, noting that Main Roads WA have long been advocates of the IS rating scheme.

"The excellent outcomes are a testament to the strategic commitment Main Roads has made to improving the sustainability of WA's road infrastructure, delivering positive benefits to industry and community," he said.

A number of sustainable initiatives delivered by the Gateway WA Alliance team led to the achievement of the 'Excellent' IS As Built rating, including:

• outstanding management of substantial volumes of waste;
• relocating animals found in the project area;
• working with members of the local Aboriginal community to enhance the recognition of heritage through public art; and
• delivering an innovative design for the new Roe Highway/Berkshire Road interchange, the first of its kind in Australia.

During his key note speech at the Western Australian Infrastructure Sustainability Conference, Main Roads Western Australia Managing Director Stephen Troughton reiterated Main Roads' commitment to sustainability in an effort to create long lasting benefits for all West Australians.

"The Gateway WA project delivery, including the outstanding waste management and recycling initiatives, is a great example of how this commitment to sustainability was put into practice" he said.

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The IS rating scheme is Australia's only comprehensive rating scheme for evaluating sustainability across design, construction and operation of infrastructure.

Gateway WA is an Alliance of five industry leaders—CPB Contractors (formally Leighton Contractors), Georgiou, GHD, AECOM, and BG&E—working with Main Roads Western Australia to deliver the Gateway WA Perth Airport and Freight Access Project.

The Gateway WA Perth Airport and Freight Access Project is a $1 billion road construction project, funded by the Australian and State governments, and is designed to improve the safety and efficiency of one of the state's most important transport hubs. It will provide residents and visitors to Western Australia with a memorable first impression for years to come. The road upgrades cater for an anticipated doubling of freight and container transport within the Kewdale Industrial Precinct by 2030 and the expected doubling of passenger air travel to and from Perth Airport.

The project comprises widening 7km of Tonkin Highway to six lanes, upgrading 3km of Leach Highway to expressway standard, constructing four new grade separated interchanges and upgrading a fifth interchange, including the Grand Gateway three-level interchange that provides new access to Perth Airport.

Gateway WA incorporates road and bridge improvements, local road modifications, 21km of continuous grade separated shared path and local connections for pedestrians and cyclists. In addition, it has delivered 6km of noise/screen walls, landscaping, including installing approximately one million plants, embracing innovative urban design and intelligent transport system technology.

During the project, savings were transferred back to Main Roads to reinvest. Main Roads awarded Gateway WA an additional $45 million package of works to upgrade the Roe Highway and Berkshire Road intersection into a grade separated interchange.

Gateway WA's mission was to deliver sustainable landmark road infrastructure around Perth Airport and the Kewdale Freight Precinct. In doing so, Gateway WA was committed to achieving sustainable economic, environmental and social outcomes for the project, from inception through to completion and beyond.

Key sustainability outcomes delivered by Gateway WA

Waste management: The Gateway WA Alliance excelled in managing waste. Waste management practices included recycling more than ninety five percent of waste sent offsite and processing 850,000 tonnes, the equivalent of 38 Olympic sized swimming pools, of unsuitable material onsite, diverting this from being sent to landfill.

Protection of fauna and minimisation of clearing: During the project design phase, planning took place to survey more than 1,000 established trees in the clearing zones to analyse for potential retention. Gateway WA also undertook a program for trapping and relocation of animals found in the project area, this included relocating more than 100 bandicoots prior to clearing.

Recognition of heritage: Members from the Gateway WA project team and the local Aboriginal community worked together to inform the project scope with the aim of reducing impact to heritage sites within the project area and enhancing the heritage through urban design and public art features. The City Link Noise Wall Art work, incorporating an acknowledgement of Noongar land and culture written in both English and Noongar languages, is an example of the recognition of the heritage of the area.

Innovation: Gateway WA was rewarded for their innovative 'tennis ball' or 'cut-through' design of the Roe Highway/Berkshire Road interchange, the first of its kind in Australia. This innovative design was aimed at improving road user safety by reducing the impact of potential crashes.