Description
The Gateway Upgrade North was jointly funded by the national and state governments on a 80:20 split. This project was delivered by the Department of Transport and Main Roads with assistance from Trans urban Queensland under a Design & Construct contract with Lendlease Engineering Pty Limited. Its completion was announced on March 2019.
The project delivered safety and efficiency improvements to the Gateway Motorway between Nudgee and Bracken Ridge, a four-lane section of motorway providing a critical transport corridor for more than 83,000 vehicles each day. The extra lanes on the motorway and the Deagon Deviation are significantly reducing traffic congestion and improves traffic flow and driver safety.
Key improvements to this section of the motorway involved the following scope of works:
- Widening 11.3km of the motorway from four to six lanes from Nudgee to Bracken Ridger
- Reconfiguring the Nudgee interchange including a new Nudgee Road overpass
- Widening the Deagon Deviation between Depot Road and Bracken Ridge Road to provide two lanes in each direction
- Modifying to the Bicentennial Road interchange including extended on and off-ramps
- Construction of a new northbound bridge over Sandgate Road and the Shorncliffe rail line to replace the existing bridge;
- Construction of an off-road cycle/pedestrian facility
- Intelligent Transport Systems including variable speed limit signage, variable messaging signs, traffic monitoring cameras and ramp metering
Project Aerial Photos
Rating Highlights
Management Systems - Man-1L3, Man-6L3
Man-1: There is a firm commitment to continual improvement with the aspiration of achieving net positive impacts by means of restorative actions both during design and construction phases of the project.
Man-6: The following are key takeaways from the sustainability knowledge sharing initiatives that were done by the project:
- Capturing stakeholder engagement and feeding back into draft strategy would encourage greater involvement in engagement approach, and more buy-in, likely limiting some of the negative perceptions of the project
- Identifying negotiable issues early would have prevented limited stakeholder involvement, which occurred
- Having a clear understanding of sustainability would have reduced overlap early in project design/construction
- Lendlease would have benefited from doing additional background research into the demographics of the area to more closely understand the needs of the different communities along the project alignment
- The project needed to filter project notifications by ensuring appropriate stakeholders (sensitive receivers) are provided with construction information that is relevant to their area only, i.e. to avoid information overload
- A dedicated point of contact in charge of community concerns and complaints may have been valuable for the project
Procurement and Purchasing - Pro-1, Pro-2, Pro-3, Pro-4
Pro-3: Lendlease’s procurement process enabled all potential suppliers, (not just supply agreement contracts) to be evaluated using the Lendlease Letting Approval form which has a 40% Non-Commercial weighting prior to acceptance. This then led to an environment and sustainability score given for each contractor. This scoring is completed based on the responses provided as part of the pre-qualification questionnaire and tender interview process.
Pro-4: All contracts with Lendlease requests that suppliers provide data to assist the project in achieving sustainability targets and objectives. Monitoring against these targets occurred throughout the entire project. Examples of targets as linked to commitments in the project sustainability policy which suppliers are requested to provide data against include:
- Reductions in project delivery carbon emissions which is primarily managed through NGERs data collection
- Reduction of virgin material use
- Create sustainable jobs through traineeships and apprentices
Discharges to Air, Land and Water - Dis-1L3, Dis-2 L1, Dis-3 L3, Dis-4 L3, Dis-5 L1
Dis-1: There are four creek catchments, drains that pass through and also wetlands which sit adjacent to the Project. Evidence demonstrated that no adverse impacts have occurred in these Creek catchments during the construction phase. The final Issued For Construction Design Report for Longitudinal Drainage confirmed that the proposed reductions in hydraulic parameter loads of Total Suspended Solids, Total phosphorous, Total nitrogen, and gross pollutants have been achieved.
The levels of reduction achieved were very high which is attributable to the project drainage design incorporating water quality control devices.
Dis-3: The project work has not caused physical damage to any buildings or structures.
Dis-4: The project demonstrated no exceedance of air quality goals.
Ecology - Eco-1 L1.2, Eco-2 L3
Eco-1: A dominant feature of this project is the natural landscape through which the motorway passes, with Boondall Wetlands and the Boondall Wetland Extension, Deagon Wetlands and Tinchi Tamba wetlands all lying close to the alignment. There are creek crossings and a select number of local council reserves and private properties that retain native vegetation.The overall amount of hard surface was reduced due to a decrease in exposed bare ground. All bare ground was rehabilitated with planted vegetation and grassed verges. Disturbed areas were predominantly planted with native vegetation.
Eco-2: All underpass and Arboreal aerial crossings were installed. TMR have commissioned a monitoring program following construction to gauge use of the arboreal crossings which demonstrates the long-term management of the ecological values of the site.
Heritage - Her-1L3, Her-2 L3
Intangible Aboriginal cultural heritage values within and adjacent to the project were identified, considered and addressed and acknowledges the whole project area to be of significant to Turrbal regardless of whether on a register or not. The signage at the rest stops installed along the shared user path, contained detail to promote the local heritage values. As an example, the installed interpretative signage at Nudgee Road Interchange rest stop included some information around the traditional language, local history and information of the area. The historical survey tree near to the Deagon Depot site office was identified for preservation throughout the construction period, with the site office and deck constructed with an Arborist onsite prior to screw piling to check the location of the tree’s roots. The design for the Nudgee Interchange has included advanced stock trees of culturally-significant Bunya Pines. The trees will curl off the end of the bridge in a circular pattern as part of a wider land art design, which is inspired by the highly culturally significant Nudgee Water Hole and Bora Ring.
Urban and Landscape Design - Urb-1 L3, Urb-2 L2
The urban and landscape design plan and achieved a high degree of compliance as confirmed by an independent consultant.
Innovation
The following were verified for innovation:
- EME2 pavements –1st Australia
This is the first time a major road project in Queensland and Australia has usedEME2, as well as recorded to be the largest use by volume (9,000 tonnes) in Australia to date.EME2 is high modulus asphalt developed in France in the early 90's and show 20% reduction of the overall asphalt thickness comparing against current Australian asphalt pavement designs. The project has worked closely with the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA) who has been closely involved with the roll out of this innovative product within Australia. - LED Street lighting
The project successfully implemented all LED lighting commitments made in design. - Glider Pole Crossing –1st Australia
This innovation was confirmed Australian first by Sandpiper Ecological Surveys, in particular Brendan Taylor who is known as a renowned expert in arboreal fauna crossings in Australia. A monitoring program for all the arboreal crossings was also recommended to TMR.