Download - December 2016 project update
Fast facts• 1.7 million cubic metres of earth will be moved between
cut to fill
• 13 bridge structures at 7 locations (4 over waterways, 3 over roads)
• 120 concrete bridge piles will be poured and placed into location
• Small sections of 2 local roads (Woondum and Tandur) will be realigned to allow for the new highway to pass over via new bridges
• 34 new culverts up to 2.1m diameter installed under highway
• 102 temporary sediment basins at key locations to assist with sediment control
• 4 permanent creek diversions
• 14.2 kilometres of fauna fencing will be constructed to help prevent koalas and other fauna accessing the new highway
Key project features Section C will deliver approximately 10.5km of highway on a new and improved alignment.
The existing Bruce Highway will remain as an alternative route for local road users wishing to travel between Traveston and Gympie. Key features of Section C include:
• divided 4-lane highway on a new alignment between Traveston and Woondum, with the ability to be upgraded to 6-lanes in the future
• on and off ramps at Woondum to connect the new Bruce Highway to the existing Bruce Highway. These have been designed to be upgraded in future to accommodate Section D: Woondum to Curra (the Gympie bypass) of the highway upgrade
• bridges over major waterways at Traveston Creek, Kybong Creek, Cobbs Gully and Jackass Creek
• overpasses at Tandur Road and Woondum Road.
Upcoming work in early 2017• Bulk earthworks to be completed.
• Girders will be installed on Jackass Creek bridge, Woondum Road overpass and the Woondum Interchange, then all 13 bridge structures will be completed with girders and bridge deck units in place early in the new year.
• Constructing pavements (asphalting) on the main alignment will commence.
How can I find out more? For further information about the Bruce Highway Upgrade –Cooroy to Curra, please visit the project website or contact the the project team.
Free call: 1800 180 566* – this number will connect you to a project officer in Gympie.
* Free call from anywhere in Australia, call charges apply for mobile
phones and payphones. Check with your service provider for call costs.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.tmr.qld.gov.au/cooroytocurra
Write to: Bruce Highway Upgrade – Cooroy to Curra Reply Paid 64 PO Box 183 Gympie Qld 4570
Want to receive regular email updates?Future project and construction updates for Section C will be via email. If you would like to sign up for the email updates, please email the project team at [email protected]
Construction under way on new highwayCPB Contractors started construction in March 2016 on the new section of the Bruce Highway between Traveston and Woondum and work has been progressing on schedule.
The $384 million state and federally funded Section C Project is the third link to be constructed of the 62km upgrade of the Bruce Highway between Cooroy and Curra. The project has reached the following milestones:
• Clearing and boundary fencing of the 10.5km alignment is complete
• Bulk earthworks is 90% complete with over 1.5 million cubic meters of earth moved to date. CPB Contractors enlisted a fleet of scrapers, dump trucks up to 50 tonne and excavators up to 110 tonne that at peak times have moved approximately 25,000m3 of earth a day, equal to 10 Olympic size swimming pools
• Large concrete “Super T” girders have been placed on bridges over Traveston Creek, Kybong Creek, Tandur Road and Cobbs Gully. The girders are up to 29m long and each weigh 62 tonne
• All piling work completed on 13 bridges
• To enable excavation of hard rock in the cuttings, 7 low impact blasts have occurred to date at three locations
• Construction of all major drainage structures under the main highway carriageway are complete
• All four creek diversions at Traveston, Kybong and Jackass creeks and Cobbs Gully are complete and open to water flow
• Landscaping is in progress with ongoing topsoiling and hydromulching of batters being undertaken to stabilise the site
• Installation of koala proof fencing along the new highway is underway.
For the safety of construction workers and the travelling public, at several locations where the project intersects with local roads or the existing highway, some temporary traffic changes are in place. Please adhere to all roadwork signage and speed limits.
The department would like to thank the community for your patience during construction.
Bruce Highway – Cooroy to Curra (Section C: Traveston to Woondum)
Project update December 2016
Meet Baxter the koala scat detection dogTMR has commissioned the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) to undertake research to find out how we can better counter-balance the impact from infrastructure projects to koalas and the grey-headed flying fox. The research program includes TMR funding two koala scat detection dogs, one of these dogs is Baxter, who has just graduated from training and is now onsite working.
This innovative program will run for five years and will inform TMR of factors that need to be considered when designing land offsets for projects like Section C.
The USC team, including Baxter, are out searching for koala scats (droppings) so they can analyse these scats, along with other data they collect in relation to koalas and the grey headed flying-fox. The research is focussed in and around Gympie, particularly in and around the Cooroy to Curra highway corridor.
For more information on what the research team is doing, go to www.tmr.qld.gov.au/cooroytocurra, choose ‘Section C’ and ‘Land offset research’. Baxter also has his own blog post at www.blog.tmr.qld.gov.au
Christmas holiday closureFrom 22 December 2016 to 4 January 2017, project and construction staff will take a short Christmas break.
Work areas will be secured for safety. If you are in the area, please adhere to signage and do not cross barriers.
We wish you and your family, a safe and happy holiday season.
Tand
ur R
oad
Keefton Road
Venardos
Avenue
Woondum
Road
Mar
y Riv
er
Old Tr
avest
on Road
Traveston Road
New Bruce Highway
Existing Bruce Highway
Brisbane Gympie
New Bruce Highway
New bridges
New local roads and connections
Existing roads
Safety works on the southern access to Gympie
Legend
New connection from Traveston interchange to existing Bruce Highway which will act as
a service road for local access
New south-bound off-ramp to connect to Traveston
interchange
New Traveston Creek bridge and bridges over Tandur Road and Kybong Creek. Tandur Road
will be realigned slightly in this location
New connections north-bound and south-bound to existing Bruce Highway for access to and from Gympie
Old Traveston Road intersection upgraded to left in-left out. Old Traveston Road will be cul-de-sacked
both sides of the new highway
Completed 3.5km of early works. Existing Bruce Highway was upgraded between
Woondum and Venardos Avenue.
Bridges over Woondum Road and a realignment of an approximately
1km section of Woondum Road
Bridges over Cobbs Gully and
Jackass Creek
Section C: Traveston to Woondum alignment
Protecting the environment• Habitat features (for example logs) were
collected during clearing and will be re-used as permanent habitat for fauna.
• In total 102 temporary sediment basins will be installed on site to assist with sediment control. As the project progresses, the basins will be decommissioned and rehabilitated where required.
• Construction is underway on two dedicated fauna crossings that will run under the new highway, providing connectivity and habitat areas on each side.
• The project is undertaking an innovative ‘passive’ floccing process using gypsum, in preparation for any predicted rain events which proactively assists in the treatment of dirty run off water.
• The project is undertaking a land offset research program.
Two lane both directions