Project Description
The Walkerston Bypass will deliver a new 2-lane rural highway to connect Peak Downs Highway west of Walkerston to the Mackay Ring Road near Paget.
The new Walkerston Bypass will become the designated heavy vehicle route for B-double and other multi-combination vehicles, including A-double road trains, between the Bruce Highway and the Peak Downs Highway.
Key features:
- A new bridge with improved flood immunity over Bakers Creek
- 3 new road overpasses above the local cane railway network
- Re-directing heavy vehicles away from local schools, retail, and medical facilities in Walkerston
- Removing heavy vehicle and local traffic interactions through Walkerston
- Providing a direct route for heavy vehicles required by Bowen Basin coal producers
- Extending the life of a 74-year-old bridge, adjacent to a school yard
- Reducing congestion through Walkerston
- Integrating with existing works on the Peak Downs Highway–Eton Range Upgrade and Mackay Ring Road (Stage 1).
Key Achievement
The project overcame many challenges associated with delivering an IS Rating for a rural greenfield project, ultimately achieving an IS v1.2 Design Rating of Excellent.
Highlights
- A 53 per cent reduction in material lifecycle impacts was achieved in the design against the IS Base Case, primarily attributed to the use of plant-mixed foamed bitumen (PMFB) pavement with increased design life compared to the cement stabilised pavement that had previously been typical in the region.
- The project includes a market transformation innovation for the first use of PMFB pavements in the Central Queensland Region. The project will establish a mobile plant in the region that will demonstrate to other projects and project proponents the feasibility of this pavement technology. Previously, as was the case for Walkerston Bypass, PMFB was not feasible due to the lack of sufficient demand to justify a local fixed PMFB plant. Establishment of the mobile PMFB plant will enable the local supply chain to be exposed to and upskill for future PMFB projects.
- The project developed and implemented a new operational energy modelling methodology to account for decarbonisation of the grid based on relevant government commitments. With many governments targeting net zero by 2050, while many linear infrastructure projects are designed for 100-year lifespans, this methodology ensures that operational emissions over the project lifecycle are not overestimated, and places more emphasis on achieving energy reduction outcomes in the construction phase.
Acknowledgements
Asset owner: QLD Department of Transport and Main Roads
Design consultant: AECOM
Cost estimator: Fission
Details:
The project is being delivered as a Construct Only project for the Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Government. The Detailed Design phase commenced in 2019 with AECOM as the design consultant and was completed in 2021 before proceeding into the construction phase. The project is currently in construction with Fulton Hogan as the head contractor.
Rating Highlights:
The project overcame many challenges associated with delivering an IS Rating for a rural greenfield project, ultimately achieving an IS v1.2 Design Rating of Excellent. Rating highlights included a 53 per cent reduction in material lifecycle impacts in the design against the IS Base Case, a new operational energy modelling methodology for grid emissions, and a market transformation innovation for the establishment of a mobile plant-mixed foamed bitumen plant in the region.
