Construction on Queensland's largest ever road and bridge project, the $2.12 billion Gateway Upgrade Project, was completed last night with the final southern section of the motorway upgraded and opened to traffic within the original project timeframe.
In March last year, the state government announced that cost and time savings from the original Gateway Upgrade Project would be used to upgrade and widen the final four kilometre section of the motorway between Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road and Miles Platting Road, as well as pavement resurfacing through to the Pacific Motorway.
The fast-tracked works also included increasing the motorway from four to six lanes, widening the bridges over Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road and Prebble Street to three lanes in each direction, as well as localised intersection works at the Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road.
Queensland Motorways Acting CEO Shirley Robertson said Queensland Motorways was rightfully proud of its achievements.
"The Gateway Upgrade Project has been a great example of successful public/private sector collaboration between Queensland Motorways, the State and the Leighton Abigroup Joint Venture," she said.
"We delivered the original project seven months early, then planned, procured and delivered a $240 million extension within the original project's timeframe.
"It was a remarkable effort by the team involved and we thank all involved in the project for a job well done."
"There are now 12 lanes across the Brisbane River on the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges, nine lanes from the Port of Brisbane Motorway reducing to eight lanes from Lytton Road to Old Cleveland Road," Ms Robertson said.
"Now these works are complete, motorists can enjoy more reliable travel from Nudgee in the north all the way through to the Pacific Motorway in the south."
Gateway Upgrade Project Facts:
- The $2.12 billion Gateway Upgrade Project is one of the largest bridge and road projects in Queensland's history.
- The project was a state government initiative, delivered by Queensland Motorways with design, construction and maintenance undertaken by the Leighton Abigroup Joint Venture.
- The project had the biggest Design, Construct and Maintain contract in Australia's history.
- The Gateway Upgrade Project involved upgrading of 16 kilometres of the motorway between Lytton Road and Miles Platting Road in the south, constructing an entirely new seven kilometre section of the motorway, north of the Brisbane River offering a more direct route to Brisbane Airport and the Port of Brisbane as well as duplicating the existing Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge (formerly the Gateway Bridge).