Skip to main content

GRAA focuses on winning project profile: Brisbane Airport Link, Northern Busway & Airport

The revolutionary AUD$4.8 billion Airport Link has delivered a landmark infrastructure project for Australia, tackling traffic congestion, enhancing the busway network and removing an infamous traffic bottleneck through an innovative and inspired design. The Airport Link in Brisbane, Australia included three separate projects – the Northern Busway (a 3km two-way dedicated busway), the Airport Roundabout Upgrade and the AirportlinkM7 (a 6.7km toll road including 5.2km of tunnel). Together, they represent the
May 19, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Parsons Brinckerhoff and Arup joint venture won the 2013 GRAA for Design
RSSThe revolutionary AUD$4.8 billion Airport Link has delivered a landmark infrastructure project for Australia, tackling traffic congestion, enhancing the busway network and removing an infamous traffic bottleneck through an innovative and inspired design.

The Airport Link in Brisbane, Australia included three separate projects – the Northern Busway (a 3km two-way dedicated busway), the Airport Roundabout Upgrade and the AirportlinkM7 (a 6.7km toll road including 5.2km of tunnel). Together, they represent the largest single investment in transport infrastructure ever undertaken in Australia. The project was delivered by the 2642 Thiess 4755 John Holland (TJH) joint venture with 2693 Parsons Brinckerhoff and 1419 Arup joint venture as the lead design partner, for the Queensland Government-appointed 2641 BrisConnections.

Parsons Brinckerhoff and Arup joined forces – as PBA – to provide technical input into the tender and to deliver the detailed design and construction phase services support. PBA engaged more than 1,000 staff, who worked more than one million hours from start-up in 2006 through to completion in July 2012. During that time PBA delivered more than 18,000 ‘for construction’ drawings in 600 packages with a Total of 3,600 submission cycles.

Aside from 15km of tunnel, the scheme boasts 25 bridges, 15 cut and cover structures, 8.5km of roadway, bicycle paths, 3.5ha of new parklands, more than one million new plants, three ventilation stations, and an operations control building.

The scale and complexity of the project, along with very tight constraints imposed by a highly-populated environment and the need to keep roads open, presented a formidable design challenge. These challenges required a range of technical innovations including underground road interchanges in caverns, the largest of which was 28m wide, and an innovative multilevel flyover with a fast-diamond interchange.

PBA’s scope of works included tunnel, road, geotechnical, electrical and mechanical, fire and life safety, structural and civil works design, as well as coordinating the urban design via subcontracted resources.

2014 GRAA Applications
The Global Road Achievement Awards (GRAA) is a one-of-a-kind competition to recognise innovative road projects and exemplary people that place the road industry at the forefront of worldwide social and economic development.
ENTRIES SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY JUNE 30, 2014. More information at: www.irfnews.org/graa


For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Key deals show strength of Tolling solutions sector
    September 26, 2013
    The world’s leading tolling solution providers have achieved significant deals in recent months emphasising the importance of their latest and proven technology. Guy Woodford reports Kapsch TrafficCom North America (Kapsch), part of Kapsch TrafficCom Group, has been awarded a five-year US$30 million contract by Canadian Tolling Company International (Cantoll). The contract will see the leading tolling technology manufacturer supply its next generation TDMA V6 Interior Transponder, also known as an onboar
  • Czech Republic re-tenders D4 Pribram and Pisek section as P3 deal
    January 6, 2017
    The Czech Transport Ministry has re-tendered for legal, technical and financial consultancy services regarding the first public-private partnership for a road project. The contract is for construction of a 32km section of the D4 motorway between Pribram and Pisek in South Bohemia. A previous tender for the €3.8 million project was cancelled by the Czech Anti-monopoly Office (UOHS) that suggested it contained flaws. Deadline for bids for the new tender is February 15 with construction of the remaini
  • Parsons wins design services contract for Chicago’s Webster Street Bridge
    December 11, 2012
    Parsons Brinckerhoff has won a contract from the Chicago Department of Transportation (DOT) in the US to provide final and preliminary design services for the rehabilitation of Chicago’s Webster Street Bridge. The firm will also be in charge of coordination and community outreach with adjacent property owners, and coordination with the US Army Corps of Engineers, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the US Coast Guard. Parsons will offer engineeri
  • Next IRF World Meeting to be held in New Delhi from 14-17 November 2017
    June 30, 2014
    The General Assembly and the Board of Directors of IRF at their annual Statutory Meeting held in Paris on 16th April 2014 have firmed up the venue and dates of the next IRF World Meeting. This major event will be held in New Delhi, the capital of India from 14-17 November 2017 Held every four years for the last 60 years, the World Meeting is a highly regarded and must-attend event.