Every Friday, OwnerDriver will provide a comprehensive review of changed traffic and road conditions for Australia’s freight and heavy vehicle operators.
This week, Queensland’s notorious Bruce Highway has works set to begin and conditions have changed on the M1 Princes Motorway, while expressions of interest are now open for an important patch of safety works along a Western Australian highway.
Parkes Bypass bridges get moving
In New South Wales, two bridges are being built as part of the ongoing $287.2 million Parkes Bypass project.
As it continues moving closer to carrying traffic, the NSW government says massive girders are being lifted into place to support the bridge decks.
Once complete, Parkes Bypass will feature five key intersections and two new bridges, with one going over Hartigan Avenue and the rail corridor while the other will be built on top of the Victoria Street bypass.
Preliminary works are nearing completion to build abutments, or bridge ends, with two giant cranes now set to lift six girders into place at each of the bridges.
These girders add to the 30 previously lifted into place in October last year.
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The process will again be repeated on November 5 to lift more into place for the new Victoria Street Bridge.
When completed, the 10.5km bypass is set to improve freight productivity and efficiency on the Newell Highway by bypassing Parkes.
“All the pieces of the Parkes Bypass project are continuing to come together to ensure the Newell Highway is upgraded to be a safer and more efficient major inland transport route through the centre of New South Wales,” federal transport minister Catherine King says.
“The Newell Highway contributes to the competitiveness of Australia’s agricultural and mining sectors by enabling access to essential freight networks not only in NSW, but also Victoria and Queensland.”
Resurfacing begins on the Bruce
The well-known Bruce Highway in Queensland is playing host to resurfacing works, with the upgrades occurring between Kennedy and South Innisfail.
Including sections at Silky Oak, Maadi, El Arish, Daveson and Silkwood, the works will involve asphalt resurfacing to extend the life of the road pavement and reduce the formation of potholes.
Currently the Queensland department of transport and main roads (TMR) says the work will begin in “late-October 2024”, with crews to be onsite between 6am and 6pm.
Changed traffic conditions will be in place, including temporary speed limit reductions, while single lane operation will also be happening under the coordination of traffic controllers and/or traffic signals.
TMR says there may be times when access to properties directly adjacent to the works will be temporarily restricted, with intermittent full closures of the road to be required at times. Overall, TMR says there will be expected delays of up to 15-minute periods during the closures.
Conditions change on the NSW M1
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) says there will be changed traffic conditions in November on the M1 Princes Motorway, Picton Road and Mount Ousley Road due to the start of work on the Mount Ousley Interchange.
On November 3, 4 and 6, night closures will be in place between 8pm and 4am on the three roads at the intersection, while the closures will occur again on November 10, 11 and 13.
Detours via Memorial Drive and Bulli Pass will be in place for vehicles up to 19m and/or 50.5 tonnes, with there being a brief access window for vehicles exceeding these dimensions on November 4, 6, 11 and 13.
Operators have been encouraged to register their interest to gain access during this window before October 28 by heading here.
Tonkin Highway interchange EOIs called for
The Western Australian government, in line with the federal government, has urged contractors to submit tenders for upgrades planned for the Tonkin Highway, just south of the Roe Highway.
The project is set to see grade-separated interchanges built at Hale Road and Welshpool Road, with the highway widened to a six-lane dual carriageway between Roe Highway and north of Kelvin Road.
With more than 50,000 vehicles using this section of Tonkin Highway every day, of which 13 per cent are heavy vehicles, the contract for design and construction will be awarded in mid-2025, with construction to begin late next year.
“This stretch of Tonkin Highway is a notorious bottleneck, particularly the intersection with Welshpool Road which regularly rates as one of the worst for congestion,” WA transport minister Rita Saffioti says.
“Tonkin Highway is a major freight route in the Perth metropolitan region, but with significant congestion, our government is taking action to make this road smoother, safer and more efficient.
“This project will complement the Tonkin Gap Project, which recently reached completion, and is providing commuters with faster travel times and a safer journey.
“This important upgrade project will improve safety and the movement of freight and people by creating free-flowing traffic conditions.”
Huon Highway takes first step
Now down into Tasmania, the Tasmanian government has completed community consultation for its Huon Highway-Mountain River Road intersection improvement project.
The road is set to ease traffic congestion in the region while also improving access to bus stops and other transport priorities.
“The project aims to make it safer for pedestrians to access public transport while preserving traffic flow on the highway,” Tasmanian Parliamentary secretary for infrastructure Kerry Vincent says.
“We will consult with the Huon Valley Council and adjacent landowners and do engineering, environmental and heritage surveys to inform the development of options.”
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