Pollies go head to head over Tiaro bypass

Jay Fielding

A STATE government minister has accused the local federal member of lying to locals and fearmongering over a major project worth more than a third of a billion dollars.

Planning for the fourlane Tiaro Bypass project is now complete with the contract for detailed design awarded to Arup Australia and SMEC Australia.

Detailed design work for the project has started and is expected to be complete next year.

Construction timeframes will be confirmed during the detailed design phase, the Queensland Government says.

Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said it was an important milestone for the bypass, which he said was on track to be delivered under the same timeline it always had been.

“Unfortunately, over the last six months the local LNP member Llew O’Brien has been fearmongering and lying to the public,” Mr Bailey said.

“First, he claimed the project had been cut completely, and then claimed the funding breakdown had been changed despite his own media release showing it was exactly the same as when he was in government,” he said.

“As the people of the Wide Bay can see the Tiaro Bypass is on track and I’m excited to see the detailed design getting underway.

Mr Bailey said the Tiaro Bypass was part of the jointly funded $13 billion Bruce Highway Upgrade Program aimed at improving safety, flood resilience and capacity along the highway between Brisbane and Cairns, with the added benefit of creating jobs and supporting economic recovery.

“This includes committing to key road corridor upgrades and providing planning money for future projects in Queensland as part of the government’s strategy to ease congestion, better connect regions, improve the access and safety of our roads and meet our national freight challenge,” he said.

Assistant Regional Roads Minister and Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders said the State Government would deliver almost $1.6b worth of road and transport infrastructure projects across Wide Bay over the next four years.

“We’re also delivering major projects like the $1 billion Gympie Bypass, the $44 million MaryboroughHervey Bay Road upgrade, and the $42 million Isis Highway upgrade, plus the $7.1 billion Queensland Train Manufacturing Program with a home base in Maryborough,” Mr Saunders said.

“The detailed design stage includes further, more detailed, technical investigations to inform the refinement of road and bridge designs,” he said.

“These include environmental, hydraulics, noise, geotechnical, pavement, traffic and safety, drainage, lighting, signage, property accesses and public utility relocations. The detailed design phase also includes preparation of construction contracts and drawings and detailed cost estimates in readiness for construction.”

Pre-qualified consultants with experience in highway and bridge design, as well as geotechnical and hydraulic engineering, were invited to submit offers for the design work.

“Several pre-qualified consultants (including a number of joint ventures) submitted offers and the Department of Transport and Main Roads evaluated the submissions using both performance-based assessment criteria and competitive pricing, to determine the offer that presents the best value for money,” Mr Saunders said.

“Stakeholder input played a major role in development of the concept design, particularly input from the Tiaro Community Working Group,” he said.

“Ongoing consultation with project stakeholders will continue during the detailed design phase of the project.”

The bypass will address safety, flood immunity and traffic efficiency issues, and cater for future traffic demand on the Bruce Highway.

The current design includes 9km of new fourlane highway, a concrete centre median barrier, interchanges north and south of Tiaro and improved highway flood immunity.

The Tiaro Bypass project is being jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments, with the Australian Government committing $268.8 million to the $336 million project.

It is estimated to support an average of 490 direct jobs over the life of the project.

According to the Transport & Main Roads website, the Tiaro bypass will cost an estimated $336 million, of which $67.2 million will be funded by the State Government, the balance by the Federal Government.

Further detailed design work is still required on:

- environmental, hydraulics, noise, geotechnical, pavement, traffic and safety assessments;

- development of detailed road and bridge design drawings including drainage, lighting, signage, property accesses and public utility relocations;

- preparation of detailed cost estimates, construction drawings and contract and procurement documents for the construction phase.

The final bypass will include 9km of a new 4-lane highway east of Tiaro with a concrete centre median separating opposing traffic lanes, 2 grade separated interchanges (one north and one south) providing easy connectivity to Tiaro for residents and visitors, realignment of local roads to the closest new interchange and improved highway flood immunity (designed for a 1-in-100-year flood event).