Mt Lindesay Highway Upgrade: Stoney Camp Road to Chambers Flat Road

Project Overview

JF Hull Holdings and SEE Civil worked as a Joint Venture (HullSEE JV) to construct this project for the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Queensland on a Construct Only Contract.

HullSEE JV were awarded this contract in February 2021 for the Mount Lindesay Highway Upgrade: Stoney Camp Road to Chambers Flat Road (SC2CFR). The project incorporates the duplication of the highway from two to four lanes between Stoney Camp Road and Chambers Flat Road.

The project included upgrading a 4km section of the Mount Lindesay Highway in Munruben, Queensland, from two lanes to a grade-separated four-lane configuration. This was required as the Mount Lindesay Highway is one of Queensland’s busiest highways with up to 58,000 vehicles per day using sections of the highway between Browns Plains and Jimboomba.

The program included constructing the alignment in primary stages to allow a mid-project traffic switch onto the new road, then upgrading of the original road.

SC2CF was delivered with optimised road safety and community use in mind, and where some closures were required on service roads, the works were expedited with dual shifts to return the asset back to the community ahead of time.

The upgrade increased safety, provided more efficient traffic flow which resulted in reduced travel times and catered for future growth in the area.

Project Engineer: Kane Grubb
Project Engineer (Bridge & Structures): Jordan Raaetz
Project Engineer (Road Furniture): Daniel Hilder
Superintendent (Bridge & Structures): Greg Green
Contractor’s Construction Manager: Rory Giles
Project Director and CLT Member: Sam West

Scope of Works:

Project Requirements

  • Construction of a new dual lane Northbound carriageway
  • Rehabilitation and widening of the existing highway to become the dual lane southbound carriageway
  • Construction of two new bridges on the Mt Lindesay Highway over Norris Creek
  • Construction of noise barriers, retaining wall, guardrail, fences, medians, Public Utility Plant (PUP), fauna crossings along the works corridor
  • Retention of all necessary existing noise barrier retaining wall, guardrail, fences, medians, PUP, fauna crossings along the works corridor
  • Allowance for traffic crossovers at Stoney Camp Road and Chambers Flat Road intersections to facilitate contraflow under active traffic control (one lane of traffic in both directions) for traffic management during construction, and
  • Application of Building Information Modelling (BIM).

Landscaping Requirements

This project also required landscaping components be completed as part of the scope of works. This included the landscaping to 44,000m² along the alignment, and the planting of 103,000 various plants.

Key Achievements:

  • The ultimate key achievement for the project was delivering the road infrastructure on schedule, and meeting the needs of the community and stakeholders. By adhering to project timelines and delivery schedules, JF Hull ensured that project benefits were realised promptly and efficiently.
  • The keystone success demonstrated by the wider project team set a new benchmark in collaborative contracting. In a period where TMR are focused on developing genuine collaborative outcomes and initiatives, the SC2CF project teams stepped up thoroughly demonstrating how well this can be achieved. JF Hull’s collaborative approach led to best practice problem-solving, and shared ‘best for project’ mentality.
  • Following concerns raised from the Engineering and Technology (E&T) branch of TMR during the foam bitumen mix design phase, alternative ratios of bitumen and lime in the mix were workshopped to increase the design life and performance of the asset. From this, HullSEE successfully established its own foamed bitumen plant by purchasing a pug mill from Europe and retrofitting it to meet TMR requirements. HullSEE worked closely with E&T throughout the assembly process to ensure the plant was producing quality material. Once the plant was complete, it supplied 70,000t of foamed bitumen to the SC2CF project. The plant was also used by E&T to conduct Mix Design Trials on pavement design life to be used in future design considerations.Through the building and self-commissioning of a foam bitumen plant, remix test batches were quickly conducted, and expedited conformance testing, to improve the product durability for the end user.
  • Due to the identification of a large volume of unsuitable material, the project went from expecting excess material to being in deficit, subsequently requiring large voumes of A1 earth fill to be imported for the project. Due to A1 material being expensive and located far from the project, research was conducted into the use of gypsum for improving Emerson Class in type A2 material, which improves the molecular properties of the soil particles, effectively turning unusable A2 fill into usable A1 fill. HullSEE then identified a large local source of A2 material which was to be disposed of, and in consultation with E&T, agreed to conduct a trial by adding in 3-5% of gypsum. To pass the Emmerson Class test, the minimum for A1 fill is three. Prior to the incorporation of gypsum, the A2 material had an Emerson Class between 0-1, and following testing, the incorporation successfully yielded results between 4-7. By developing this innovative approach, HullSEE overcame this obstacle within a tight timeframe and was able to limit delays to the project.
  • HullSEE also successfully limited delays to stakeholders by working around the clock to complete the fauna crossing culverts under the service road. This was an achievement as integrating fauna crossings into the project design involved complex aerial and underground installations. The completion of  this key project element was prioritised to ensure the earliest possible availability to the local fauna, mitigating any road-kill incidents.
j1521
j1522
j1523
j1524
j1525
j1526
j1527
j1528
j1529
j15210
j15211
j15212
j15213
j15214
j15215
j15216
j15217

Project Outcomes and Performance

Social

Successful Upskilling of Employees and Trainees

HullSEE actively supported employees and trainees to complete their studies and gain further qualifications throughout the duration of the project. This empowered our staff to achieve their full potential and opened up new career opportunities. HullSEE successfully supported:

  • Nine Trainees in a Cert III in Civil Construction
  • Two Trainees in a Cert IV in Civil Construction Supervision
  • One Employee in completing a Diploma in Project Management
  • One Employee in completing a Cert IV in Project Management Practice, and
  • 13 Employees to upskill through short courses.

Surpassing Training and Development Requirements

The project set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for training and upskilling of the workforce which were exceeded. This includes employing nine local Indigenous personnel, achieving 325% of the targeted Indigenous hours, achieving 155% of the new entrant training target (with a total of 10,541 hours from a target of 6,788), and achieving 294% of the other workforce training target (with a total of 13,294 hours from a target of 4,526).

Exceeding Indigenous Economic Spend Targets

This project brought significant benefit to the local Indigenous community, as HullSEE exceeded contractual requirements regarding Indigenous economic spend. The total contractual target required was $618,507.44, with the total spend achieved being $993,961.16.

Increasing Local Benefit through Local Spend and Engagement

HullSEE engaged local suppliers and subcontractors to positively contribute to the local economy. The JV worked with local companies such as Dulu Civil, Qld Mulching and Clearing, and Austek Roads.

Protection of Local Koala Habitat

SC2CF was located in a mapped koala habitat, with pre-construction surveys showing significant koala activity at Norris Creek. HullSEE proposed an enhanced Koala Mitigation Strategy, including a temporary fence to prevent koala and other fauna movement through the construction zone and strikes on the active highway until the permanent fauna fence was completed. During construction of the bridge and the realignment of Norris Creek, it was identified that the approved design had overlooked the installation of a koala pathway over the gabion baskets, meaning no access under the bridge for fauna ‘on paws’ had been designed. Subsequently, HullSEE proposed a suitable design for a fauna path under the bridge to enable fauna to cross the gabion baskets, successfully mitigating fauna entrapment and injury.

Successful Establishment of Communication Channels

HullSEE and TMR established connections and communication channels to all directly effected persons. Construction staging and planning was facilitated in conjunction with the community requests and sensitivities. Due to the amount of staging and traffic switches, this was an ever-evolving requirement, and was supported by a detailed planning and scheduling campaign to ensure the impact of the works was minimal, advertised, and as promised. An example of the JV accommodating the requests for stakeholders was the facilitation of 24/7 shift to complete drainage works on Granger (service) Road.

Effective Communication to Minimise Community Frustration

Success was also measured by JF Hull’s ability to minimise community frustration, despite the significant impact of construction on a high-traffic arterial road with a daily volume of 25,000+ vehicles. Through effective communication and community engagement strategies, the team managed to address concerns and minimise disruptions.

By addressing community concerns, nurturing future leaders, and enhancing infrastructure standards, the project left a lasting impact on the community, industry practices, and overall infrastructure quality. JF Hull take pride in a commitment to excellence, innovation, and long-term community benefit, setting a benchmark for successful project delivery and leaving behind a legacy of excellence.

The initial plan for the southbound carriageway involved removing the top layer of asphalt and constructing the new road above the existing alignment, with some shoulder widenings. However, onsite investigations revealed that the assumed 100mm layer of asphalt was incorrect, and multiple layers of pavement had been constructed on top of each other, reaching a depth of up to 500mm. The designer recommended that the existing pavement be impermeable, necessitating the removal of all existing pavement. The standard procedure of profiling the road in layers began, but due to the depth of the asphalt, this required up to three passes with the profiler. The material was then temporarily hauled and stockpiled for reuse.

HullSEE formulated a solution to mobilise a Lime Stabilisation Pulveriser to the site. The pulveriser was similar to a profiler in the sense that it has a drum with tungsten teeth, however, it was capable of cutting to a depth of 500mm in a single pass and could moisture condition the material in the process. With the profiler, the team were only able to achieve 80-100m of pavement removal per day, not including replacing the profiler material. With the pulveriser the team achieved 500-600m per day and were also able to place all of this material in a single day. This saved the project significant costs and time and is a great solution for future projects that also require the utilisation of existing roads.

“Congratulations to HullSEE and TMR for the unwavering dedication and collaborative spirit exhibited throughout the project. The support received from the Senior Management Teams of all involved parties has been crucial in overcoming numerous challenges. Every team member’s consistent engagement and eagerness to lend a hand whenever needed were truly valued.”

Wee Teck Yeo (Contract Administrator’s Representative – SMEC)