Haughton River Floodplain Upgrade

Project Overview

Aimed to improve safety, flood resilience and capacity on the Bruce Highway near Giru, the 13.5km major upgrade traverses the Haughton River Floodplain. Constructed adjacent live traffic of up to 8,000 vpd, with 16% heavy vehicles (major national route).

This infrastructure project is complex and multi-faceted. The project involves a mixture of greenfield and brownfield works including:

-Construct five waterway bridges, including a new higher and wider Haughton River Bridge

-Build two new highway overpasses of the existing open-level crossings of the cane tramway network

-Install stone mastic asphalt (SMA) and wide centre line treatments (WCLT) along the 13.5km section of highway

-Upgrade all rural intersections within the project area (nine in total)

-Realign the Reed Beds curve to improve safety

-Maximise local engagement in the Townsville/Burdekin region.

Project Leadership Team: Bruce Graham/Warren Crowther/Sam West
Structural Constructability Advisor
– Tender and Delivery: Bruce Graham
Project Management Team Representative/Quality & Completions Manager: Tim Gladstone
Document Control & Site Administrator: Victoria Niven
Engineers: Jimmy Stainwell, Ebony Williams
Date Commenced: March
Date Completed: June 2022
Contract Value: $300,000,000

Project Scope

Design and Construction

This complex, multi-faceted infrastructure project comprised a combination of greenfield and brownfield works including:

  • Construction of the 13.5km of Bruce Highway at Giru, Queensland
  • Seven new wider, higher-level bridges including five new waterway bridges and two cane tramway overpasses at Hodel Road/Upper Haughton Road and Shirbourne Road
  • A new alignment, located mostly upstream and immediately adjacent to the existing highway, featuring a raised road level 1-3m higher throughout the project
  • 11m seal width with wide centre line treatment
  • Multiple culvert structures
  • Nine upgraded rural intersections
  • Modifications to existing Bruce Highway to enable it to function as a service road from Sari Road to Mailman Road
  • Staggered T-intersection at the Woodstock-Giru Road
  • Retention of the existing northbound/southbound overtaking lanes and removal of existing structures and embankment opposite waterway areas on the new highway alignment, and
  • Application of approximately 60,000 tonnes of foamed stabilised bitumen, approximately 300mm thick

Key Achievements

  • Winner: 2022 QMCA Award – Cbus Super Fund Project of the Year over $100M
  • Winner: 2022 Infrastructure Partnerships Australian Project of the Year
  • Winner: 2020 National Infrastructure Awards Innovation Excellence Award
  • World First Innovation: Commercial adaptation of new software technology for hydraulic assessment and modelling coupled with Business Information Management (BIM) enabled the project team to very effectively communicate the proposed project to local communities and decision makers
  • Australian-First and Queensland-First Innovation: Adapted prestressed concrete piles to meet new TMR earthquake standards, enabling faster, more cost-effective bridge construction through close collaboration with TMR
  • Queensland First Innovation: A key achievement was the Queensland-first use of tubular steel piles, developed with TMR under the new MRTS64 specification. Now adopted industry-wide, this innovation replaced traditional in-situ piles, improving safety and reducing construction time over the flood-prone Haughton River
  • Collaboration: Achieved a 10/10 score for cooperative relationships with the Principal and Administrator over 18 months of Contractor Performance Reports. Close teamwork between TMR, TIG, and the design team drove key innovations, delivering safer and improved transport outcomes
  • Environment: TMR and TIG generated independent audit processes demonstrating a high level of compliance with the detailed and stringent project wetland environmental approval conditions
  • Environment: Implemented real-time dewatering system with automated alerts, ensuring immediate response to water level breaches and preventing pollution – an improvement over traditional 24-hour monitoring
  • Innovation: Using Bluebeam Studio, interdisciplinary design reviews were conducted in real time for all major design packages, enabling efficient, paperless collaboration. Custom tools ensured clear, consistent mark-ups and seamless coordination across teams, reducing review time to three days and establishing a single source of truth
  • Sustainability: Major reductions in material and time to construct, delivering a more sustainable solution and a reduced carbon footprint, and
  • Performance: Achieved “Excellent” ratings in both Design and As-Built phases under the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) framework, driven by the team’s integrated and sustainability-focused approach throughout the project lifecycle.
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Project Outcomes and Performance

Social

With 16% heavy vehicles using this major national route, the project team implemented enhanced traffic controls and clear communication with all stakeholders, including Wilmar cane rail, emergency services, and local road users. More than 150 traffic guidance schemes were developed to minimise side-tracks on the Bruce Highway, with traffic controllers positioned at key locations to maintain safe and efficient access. Journey management strategies such as rumble strips, long merge lanes, and average hold times of just three minutes ensured safe and smooth traffic flow. Regular risk reviews and joint site walks helped maintain effective traffic controls and crew safety. Early consultation and timely communication with communities ensured minimal disruption to daily life and maintained reliable access to essential services, particularly during piling, bridge works, and road upgrades.

The project delivered significant economic benefits by improving flood resilience and road safety along a critical section of the Bruce Highway. Replacing the narrow, flood-prone Haughton River Bridge and associated upgrades enhanced year-round connectivity for communities and freight, reducing disruptions and crash risks. These outcomes support regional economic growth, supply chain reliability, and long-term infrastructure resilience. As part of the broader Bruce Highway Upgrade Program and listed as a ‘Priority Initiative’ on Infrastructure Australia’s Priority List, the project aligns with national infrastructure strategies, including goals for Northern Australia. It also meets key Business Case objectives, including improved flood immunity, safer transport, better asset condition, and job creation, supporting a more diverse and secure regional economy.

  • Foamed bitumen minimised risk, reused material: TIG lowered safety risks from material trucks by using an innovative foamed bitumen solution that reused on-site materials.
  • Reduction of waterway and afflux impacts: The design refinement to use DST piles improved safety in design and reduced construction time over a flood prone river, thereby minimising potential waterway contamination occurrences. ​
  • Materials reduction: Design refinements cut material use by 40% compared to the Reference Design, while DST piles achieved a 60% reduction in reinforced concrete compared to bored piles, delivering strong sustainability outcomes.
  • Carbon emission reduction: associated with reduction in material and time for bridge construction using DST piles, this delivered a smaller carbon footprint such as less construction movements required due to a shorter program. ​

Local Jobs, Skills Development, and Economic Impact

The project delivered strong local employment and economic outcomes, with an average of 200 workers onsite and a peak workforce exceeding 300. Over 1,265 full-term inductions were completed, contributing to more than 955,000 work hours. With 85% local spend, the project significantly supported regional businesses and suppliers. It also exceeded government training policy targets by 93%, demonstrating a clear commitment to local skills development. Community engagement was further strengthened through participation in local events such as the Giru Show, used as a platform to share project updates and reach a broad audience. TIG’s positive employment legacy has reinforced lasting community value. 

Proactive Engagement Drives Strong Community Support

Early and extensive consultation with key stakeholders including schools, council, emergency services, and local residents was central to the project’s community engagement strategy. Clear, targeted communication was delivered through detailed traffic impact maps, repeated updates, and requests for confirmation to ensure critical information was received and understood. Robust side-tracks were constructed to minimise disruption, and councils were encouraged to share updates through their communication channels. This proactive approach resulted in strong community support, with 78% of survey respondents reporting satisfaction with both the project’s quality and its community engagement.

  • ‘The Hulk’ Supercomputer: Custom-built high-performance machine drastically cut modelling times, enabling faster, more refined flood design
  • Temporary Access Structures: Modular steel and precast platforms enabled safe, efficient over-water construction with minimal environmental impact
  • On-site Concrete Batch Plant: Localised production ensured quality control, reduced transport emissions, and supported efficient timelines
  • Falsework System for Headstocks: Counterbalanced steel beam platforms enhanced safety and efficiency in headstock construction
  • Bridge Seismic Design: Applied AS5100:2017 earthquake standards, enhancing infrastructure resilience

“Significant firsts in bridge engineering practice through excellence and collaboration across a strong team environment.”

Ken Fong (DTMR Director – Structures Design Review and Standards)