OPTIMISING COSTS ON THE AMBITIOUS AIRPORT LINK PROJECT
11 June 2008
Anthony Marx
AUSTRALIA'S biggest road infrastructure project will benefit from the fact that it has three distinct parts and not just one.
The $4.8 billion plan to build Brisbane's Airport Link, Northern Busway and Airport Drive flyover in a co-ordinated scheme over the next four years has allowed for design improvements and created significant economies of scale for the BrisConnections consortium undertaking the ambitious initiative.
Project manager Dave Moran, who is overseeing the design and construct aspects of the public-private partnership, said integrating the three parts meant that cost and performance issues could be ``optimised'' in the Airport Link and Northern Busway.
``For example, we have relocated the ramps of the Airport Link to provide extra space for the bus station at Federation Street. We have moved the Airport Link around to accommodate the busway. It's about optimising the land that we have,'' Mr Moran said.
``If those projects were delivered in isolation, it would cost more and we would not see the benefits of integrating the three designs.
``That's been a very good result for the Government and the community.''
The consortium -- comprising Macquarie Capital Group and Leighton Holdings' subsidiaries Thiess and John Holland -- beat two rival bidding groups last month to win the coveted contract from the Queensland Government, which is contributing $1.5 billion in cash and land.
The centrepiece of the project will be the 6.7km-long Airport Link, a six-lane toll road which will connect to Brisbane's Bowen Hills suburb and allow motorists to bypass 16 traffic lights. Just over 5km of the road will be located in a planned underground tunnel, which has already been moved in the current design phase to eliminate the need for surface construction near schools.
About 2500 full-time jobs will be created during the project, which has a fixed-price contract that cannot be altered to cope with surging cost of raw materials and a tight labour market.
Mr Moran said BrisConnections started work on its bid back in December 2006 and he described it as ``a very vigorous process'' that reviewed work already completed by the state and a raft of community concerns such as the impact on schools and placement of ventilation outlets. Several hundred people have already visited the group's Kedron office filled with scale models of the project.
``The reality is you still have impacts and all you can try to do is minimise those as much as you can,'' Mr Moran said.
After initial access to the site starting in September, the real work won't start until January. Approvals are still being sought for improvements to the Airport Drive roundabout and work will get under way on that part in April or May next year.
The busway should be complete by April 2012 and the rest of the project will be wrapped up two months later. BrisConnections, which is set for a $1.2 billion float later this year, will operate the Airport Link for 45 years before handing it back to the Government.
How much
* 2.8 million cu m of spoil will be generated, with 1.8 million cu m from tunnelling
* 831,000 cu m of concrete will be used including 356,000 tonnes of pre-cast concrete
* 100,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel required
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