Main Roads Western Australia
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Main Roads Western Australia Driving forward change
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oday’s roads in Western Australia are built by Main Roads using modern materials and methods honed over thousands of years. It’s some distance from one of the first known roads to be built re-cently discovered next to a prison in London and constructed around 6,000 BC using timber. Back then roads were not transporting haulage trucks, nor were they speeding people to visit friends and family, they were simply enabling people to cross what was then fairly boggy and tiresome terrain.
A few thousand years later, the world’s oldest known paved road was laid some time between 2600 and 2200 BC in Egypt. Another 2,000 years on and history remembers the Romans laying miles of perfectly straight stone roads. However, it wasn’t until the 1820s, that the first modern roads began being built in Western Australia during the settlement of the Swan River Colony. Fast forward to today and Main Roads Western Australia, based in Perth, are at the forefront of ensur-ing the State’s roads are capable of supporting the demands of tomorrow. Four years ago in May 2010, the Western Australian State Government, took the decision to amal-gamate the three key
transport agencies in the region. The integration was intended to enhance the coordination of operations, regulatory functions and policy development. Responsible for an area over 2.8 million square kilometres of land, it is one of the world’s largest geographically spread road agencies. The department collectively manages more than 17,800 kilometres of roads (enough to span one and a half times around the moon) with assets worth over $43 billion. Managing such a vast area is no mean feat and only possible through Main Road’s excellent pro-ject management, budgetary control and long term strategic plan. The ‘2020 strategy’ which
SAFE, SMART, EFFICIENT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT BUILDS BETTER COMMUNITIES. McConnell Dowell is a progressive engineering, construction and maintenance company delivering end-to-end projects for clients in the building, infrastructure and resources sectors through its comprehensive skill set and proven problem solving abilities. Our operational focus is to meet and exceed clients’ requirements through innovation, teamwork and progressive thinking. “We have some of the best and brightest in their fields working for us. It’s something we’re proud of; we strive to be the industry leaders and it shows in our work.” - CEO David Robinson
McConnell Dowell is currently delivering the Lloyd Street Southern Extension Stage One - Rail Corridor Grade Separation contract with Main Roads Western Australia. Located between Great Eastern Highway in Midland and the Great Eastern Highway Bypass in Hazelmere, the project is set to significantly improve traffic flow and safety along Lloyd Street by building an underpass under the railway to replace the existing level crossing. Visit us at - www.mcconnelldowell.com
BUILDING CIVIL ELECTRICAL FABRICATION MAINTENANCE MARINE MECHANICAL PIPELINES RAIL TUNNELLING
Main Roads have implemented, describes the strategic direction that it will take over the next five years. It is intended as a means to meet the evolving needs of the community and a framework to help overcome any challenges that may arise. It is designed to help Main Roads ensure that it ‘effec-tively develops, maintains and operates one of the largest and advanced road networks in the world, with the ability to support our future and present generation needs’. It is this concept of supporting future needs which can be seen in the core values which Main Roads is attempting to instil across the company. Innovation and sustainability spearheads this, with a desire to ensure that the department encourages a different way of thinking along
MCCONNELL DOWELL McConnell Dowell is a progressive engineering, construction and maintenance company building better communities through safe, smart, efficient infrastructure. Our construction capabilities encompass all aspects of road, rail and bridge infrastructure. Equipped with specialist plant for underground construction, rail facilities and transportation pipelines, the Group has the tools and knowledge to deliver the most technically challenging projects. CEO David Robinson describes the company’s operational focus to “meet and exceed clients’ requirements through innovation, teamwork and progressive thinking; which promotes industry excellence in the management of safety, quality and human relations in every project.” “We have some of the brightest in their fields working for us. We strive to be industry leaders and it shows in our work.” Nowhere is this more evident than our wealth of experience delivering projects throughout WA. These include the delivery of the QMC Bridge for Bechtel; Lloyd Street Rail Corridor Grade Separation contract with Main Roads Western Australia; and the Mandurah Road Footbridge which the City of Mandurah will be handing over to Main Roads Western Australia for future management. With a range of diverse projects both underway and on the horizon, McConnell Dowell is aiming to reinforce its reputation as a contractor that is “Driving Progress” in WA infrastructure projects.
with a consideration for the wider community. Its sustainability policy states ‘Main Roads is committed to creating lasting benefits through an integrated consideration of the social, environmental and eco-nomic aspects in all we do’ highlighting how sustainability is considered in all decision making.
Main Roads also cites its success being built upon its ability to recruit and retain a diverse range of talented individuals. Employing over 1,000 people, it views its employees as pivotal with their pas-sion and dynamism being key to helping it build the future. It actively encourages its employees to bring new ideas forward and champions then as innovators. The
department’s strength as an engaging employer was highlighted in 2012 when Main Roads was crowned the winner of the Western Australia employer of the year award.
What is also key is a desire to seek the input of customers and advisory groups (who represent the community) with the opinion that ‘partnerships with the community are integral to our success’. To ensure that it continually pushes to improve its customer service standards, Main Roads also benchmarks itself against known best practice standards. It not only considers its customer’s input, but also their safety with key initiatives to reduce accidents. The ‘Keep
Proudly delivering engineering technical excellence to Main Roads Our local team of experienced transport infrastructure specialists are proud to have successfully delivered business cases, integrated project planning and design for Main Roads. Our recent projects include the widening and upgrade of both the Mitchell and Kwinana Freeways, Orrong Road and the Great Northern Highway.
Mitchell Freeway © DMH Photography
For more information please contact 08 9327 8300 Colin Meeking Michael Price Darryl Patterson Julia Summers Ryan Falconer David Hull
www.arup.com
Infrastructure Leader Highway Design Network Development and Operations Interchanges and Bridges Transport and Land Use Planning Geotechnical
technical excellence to Main Roads Our local team of experienced transport infrastructure specialists are proud to have successfully delivered business cases, integrated project planning and design for Main Roads. Our recent projects include the widening and upgrade of both the Mitchell and Kwinana Freeways, Orrong Road and the Great Northern Highway. For more information please contact 08 9327 8300 Colin Meeking Infrastructure Leader Michael Price Highway Design Darryl Patterson Network Development and Operations Julia Summers Interchanges and Bridges Ryan Falconer Transport Perth Moving’ ambition, is alsoand Land Use Planning Hullexample Geotechnical anotherDavid prime of the department’s desire to provide a first class service.
Looking to the future, the 2020 strategywww.arup.com has enabled Main Roads to recognise that ‘long term economic growth is closely linked to infrastructure choices’ supporting the need for massive invest-ment in the State. This, in part, will be achieved by investing nearly $8 billion in delivering services over the next four years with nearly half of that in capital works. It is clear that Main Roads’ vision and desire for a world class transport network is driving forward growth, safety and improvements across this ever growing region of Australia.
Arup is an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers and technical specialists offering a range of professional services. Globally we are more than 11,000 strong, operating out of 90 offices in more than 38 countries. Opened in 1969, Arup’s Perth office has been active in shaping Perth for over 40 years. Our projects include the Mitchell Freeway Widening, the Perth Airport Expansion and Airport Drive, Elizabeth Quay and the new Perth Stadium. We shape a better world.
Oliver Moy Publisher
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African Business Coverage Issue 9