MAJOR CONSTRUCTION NEWS – Challenge & Opportunity for Roads Engineers.

Recent announcements are welcomed for major funding commitments of extensive road construction projects, in what appears to be a softening period ahead in overall construction activity. These projects will provide a great challenge for engineers, project managers and infrastructure asset managers to show their worth as employment opportunities open up in specialist areas. Those with the CPEE specialist qualifications and experience will see themselves well placed to take advantage of likely challenging openings.

TRANSURBAN – QUEENSLAND MOTORWAYS

Transurban Group has announced that a Transurban-led consortium had reached agreement to acquire Queensland Motorways for $7 billion. Transurban CEO, Scott Charlton, said "Queensland Motorways was a high-quality established portfolio of assets, and the acquisition was consistent with the Group's stated corporate objectives of continuing to grow distributions for security holders and enhancing its existing portfolio of prime assets".

"Clearly this is a portfolio of attractive assets with all the characteristics of our existing networks in Sydney and Melbourne, and the attractive demographics of the Queensland market. "As an operator we have a unique ability to integrate and unlock value from our networks utilising our core capabilities," Mr Charlton said.

AIRPORT at BADGERY'S CREEK - a boost for road spending

The announcement that Sydney's second airport will be located at Badgerys Creek comes with a promised windfall in road and infrastructure spending for Sydney's west. The new plan involves transport links to capitalise on the economic gains from developing an airport at Badgerys Creek.

The Australian and NSW governments will jointly fund the road infrastructure plan through an 80/20 funding split. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has committed more than $1 billion over the forward estimates and $3.5 billion over 10 years for major infrastructure upgrades that he said would transform the region's economy.

The first contracts for Bringelly Road (upgrade to four lanes from Camden Valley Way to the Northern Road) are expected to be put to tender in July.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Jamie Briggs, and NSW Minister for Roads and Freight, Duncan Gay, will have responsibility to drive the infrastructure plan, to plan and prioritise funding of existing projects and consider future projects to be funded at later stages of the program, including a link from the M4 to the Airport. Local roads are planned to receive $200 million for upgrades

MELBOURNES EAST WEST LINK

Just announced has been further contribution of $1.5 billion towards the completion of the $8 to 10 billion Western section (stage two) of Melbourne’s East West Link, (with early works expected to commence at the end of next year). This funding is in addition to the Commonwealth’s $1.5 billion contribution towards the $6 to $8 billion Eastern section (stage one) of Melbourne’s East West Link previously announced.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said the commitment (funding for the Western section to be detailed in the 2014-15 Victorian State budget) would enable completion of the full East West Link project.

Once both stages are completed, the East West Link will improve connectivity across Melbourne, provide more direct routes to key destinations (including the airport, the port and the city), alleviate pressure on the Monash-West Gate corridor, take car and truck traffic off local streets in the inner north and west, and improve Melbourne’s traffic flow.
Planning and procurement is underway for the first stage of the East West Link, a six kilometre section with a tunnel connecting the Eastern Freeway with CityLink. Construction is due to commence in late 2014 and be completed in 2019.