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Enhancing road safety and efficiency as part of the Tonkin Gap project

GHD Tonkin Gap Project

At a glance

As part of the Tonkin Gap Alliance, we partnered with Main Roads WA and Public Transport Authority to design and deliver a solution to alleviate the bottleneck along Tonkin Highway between Dunreath Drive and Collier Road. The project has significant benefits for commuters through reduced travel time and enhanced road safety along the corridor to and from the airport. Additionally, the Alliance was tasked with delivering significant rail enabling works for the future METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line.

The Tonkin Gap project and associated works was delivered by BMD, Georgiou, WA Limestone, GHD and BG&E, together with Main Roads WA and the Public Transport Authority.

As part of the Tonkin Gap Alliance, we partnered with Main Roads WA and Public Transport Authority to design and deliver a solution to alleviate the bottleneck along Tonkin Highway between Dunreath Drive and Collier Road.

The challenge

This $400M project addressed a major bottleneck on Tonkin Highway between the Gateway WA and Northlink WA projects. It also involved preparing the existing corridor to construct the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line. Upgrades included additional lanes, upgraded interchanges, new bridges, shared path connectivity and rail-enabling works.

Major components of the project included:

  • Removal and replacement of Broun Avenue Bridge.
  • Duplication of the Redcliffe Bridge (now Mooro-Beeloo), comprising a 330m launched structure over the Swan River.
  • Upgrades to improve existing interchanges at Great Eastern Highway and Guildford Road.
  • A total of 8 bridges and 3 footbridges over the Swan River, Dunstone Road, Railway Parade and Guildford Road.
  • 3.1 kilometres of new and upgraded Principal Shared Path (PSP) along Tonkin Highway.
  • Rail-enabling works for METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line.
  • BMX and mountain bike recreation area under the Mooro-Beeloo Bridge.
  • Two dive structures to facilitate the railway entering and exiting the Tonkin Highway median.

The project site posed several challenges including the constrained footprint, substandard and variable ground conditions, and high groundwater. We also needed to maintain traffic flows through the busy corridor during construction.

Our response

Our team worked to overcome the challenges by implementing an integrated design solution that considered constructability, environmental and other stakeholder imperatives. We mobilised a highly skilled technical team, responding to the need to stimulate the local economy quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Construction of Mooro-Beeloo Bridge
A key innovation was the unique process implemented to construct the Mooro-Beeloo Bridge (previously Redcliffe Bridge) over the Swan River. Rather than using a temporary pier during the launching of the 330m long structure, our team developed an alternative approach to extend an existing launching girder, creating the longest launching girder ever used in Australia at the time. This kind of reduced material and energy use, which is traditionally associated with piling works and barge operation, minimised impacts to the environmentally and culturally significant Swan River.
Water drainage
Managing drainage on the project proved to be complex, particularly around the existing Redcliffe Bridge which did not meet standards for hydraulic performance and would see an increase in traffic with the project works. Our team created a drainage solution that would meet current standards and provide a safe driving environment for both the short-term project case and long-term, with minimal modifications required between the two.
We adopted innovative design solutions to address these challenges, including overlapping or abutting new and existing structures, optimising construction methodologies with integral and launched bridges, underpinning existing structures and strengthening existing structures.
Sustainability

Given the high impact the infrastructure construction industry has across environmental, social, local economic and governance factors, sustainability was a key focus of the project. Through our ‘Australia first’ design and construction innovations on the project, we predicted reductions across all key areas, including a 6% reduction in water usage, 4% lower energy use and a 12% reduction in embodied carbon from material use through design and construction innovations.

Our team has also explored opportunities to maximise the use of recycled materials. 30,000 tonnes of crushed recycled concrete was used, replacing traditional crushed limestone road base.

In 2023, the Tonkin Gap Alliance achieved a Gold Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Design rating from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council on the Tonkin Gap Project and associated works in Western Australia. This award recognised the success of the entire team in adopting and driving sustainable approaches to drive governance, economic, environmental and social outcomes through detailed design and construction planning.

The impact

Construction began in November 2020, with works completed in 2024, on time despite several challenges, including the peak of COVID-19.

The local community has gained significant advantages with relieved congestion on Tonkin Highway and enhanced safety and connectivity across key Western Australian roadways.

The upgrades have saved road users up to six minutes of travel time during morning peak and up to 11 minutes of travel time during afternoon peak.

Our team is thrilled with the project's success. Along with our valued Alliance members, we're proud to have contributed our technical knowledge to a critical road infrastructure project in WA. Being part of this initiative underscores our commitment to setting new benchmarks for sustainable infrastructure development and creating lasting community benefit for generations to come."
Alexandra Piper, Project Director, GHD

Awards

  • 2024 Civil Contractors Federation National Earth Awards in the $150m+ project category
  • 2024 Civil Contractors Federation WA’s Sustainability Achievement Award
  • 2024 Best Civil Engineering Works over $100,000,000 from the Master Builders Association of Western Australia
  • 2023 Gold Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) design rating from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC)
  • 2022 Winner of World Demolition Award – Tonkin Gap Alliance Project

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