Locals a road project priority

THE Haughton River Floodplain Upgrade on the Bruce Highway 50km south of Townsville has been described as “an awesome project” with the potential to provide muchneeded local jobs.

Department of Transport and Main Roads operations manager Brett Whitbread provided an update on the $ 515 million project at a packed Townsville Industry Breakfast yesterday.

A 14km section of the highway across one of the North’s worst floodplains will be upgraded, including the replacement of the narrow Haughton River bridge.

Low- level bridges at Horseshoe Lagoon and Pink Lily Lagoon and the floodway at Reed Beds will also be replaced.

Mr Whitbread said he believed there would be great opportunities for local workers as contractors sought to minimise relocation costs by hiring local people.

It would also be one of the first projects in North Queensland to include Equality of Employment Opportunities for target groups including Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, migrants and people living with disabilities.

“This is truly an awesome project. It’s a great opportunity for our region and for jobs,” Mr Whitbread said. “We are doing what we can to ensure there’s a lot of local participation.”

Mr Whitbread said the upgrade was one of the final pie- ces of the puzzle for increasing the flood immunity of the highway in the region.

“Not only will it help with great connectivity up and down the coast but it also helps people getting to important things like our base hospital and to the new Cowboys stadium,” he said.

Mr Whitbread said the department was undertaking an Early Contractor Involvement method to encourage engagement with contractors for potential innovations and cost savings in design.

But he said they were keenly aware of community concern about flooding in the area and the fact that it was one of the most complex hydraulic environments in Queensland, with work to be undertaken through two or three wet seasons. “We need to avoid moving and worsening adjacent flooding,” he said.

Mr Whitbread said the department was reviewing responses to its request for proposals.

A stage two contract was to be awarded in February next year with a start of construction planned for August 2018, nine months ahead of originally planned.

The project is to be completed in 2021.

It is being funded on an 80: 20 ratio between the Federal and State governments.

IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR REGION AND FOR JOBS BRETT WHITBREAD