Toowoomba Second Range Crossing

Toowoomba Second Range Crossing
Queensland
TSRC cutting site at the Main Range (Sep 2012), looking south from Mount Kynoch
General information
Type Highway  (Under construction)
Length 41 km (25 mi)
Opened Late 2018  – mid 2019 (Expected)
Ring road around Toowoomba
Major junctions
Northeast end Warrego Highway (National Highway A2), Helidon Spa
 
  • Mort Street, Cranley
  • Boundary Street, Cranley
  • Warrego Highway (National Highway A2)
Southwest end Gore Highway (National Highway A39 / State Route 85), Athol
Location(s)
Major settlements Postmans Ridge, Withcott, Mount Kynoch, Cranley, Charlton, Wellcamp, Athol
Highway system

The Toowoomba Second Range Crossing (TSRC) is a highway construction project that will route heavy vehicle traffic around Toowoomba, Queensland. The route, being delivered by the Department of Transport & Main Roads and Nexus Consortium will be 41 kilometres (25 mi) long and will pass Toowoomba on its northern side, linking the Warrego Highway at Helidon Spa in the east and the Gore Highway at Athol in the west (via Charlton).

The Federal and Queensland governments are jointly funding the $1.6 billion project on an 80:20 basis. It is being delivered in a 25-year public–private partnership with the Nexus Infrastructure consortium.

Benefits

The Queensland Government says the benefits include:[1]

  • Avoids up to 18 sets of traffic lights in Toowoomba
  • Reduces travel time (by up to 40 minutes) and greater travel time reliability
  • Improved freight efficiency by redirecting up to 80% of heavy and super heavy commercial vehicles away from the Toowoomba central business district
  • Reduction in vehicle operating costs by ensuring a maximum slope gradient of 6.5% across the Toowoomba Range, a significant decrease from the existing range crossing which is up to 10%
  • Accommodate regional growth and increase productivity on the Darling Downs
  • Safer and less congested route than the existing range crossing

Route

The 41 kilometres (25 mi) route of the project is expected to include: 41 kilometres (25 mi) of bypass, a 30-metre cutting at the top of the range (instead of the twin, 700 metre, three lane tunnels in the reference design),[2] 24 bridges, six interchanges, nine creek crossings and one viaduct.[3]

The reference design, the basis for planning and environmental approval, features:[4]

SectionLengthCarriagewaySpeed Limit
Gore Highway and Warrego Highway West13.25 km2 Lane (single)100 km/h
Warrego Highway West to Mort Street9.15 km4 Lane (divided)90 km/h
Mort Street to Warrego Highway East18.6 km4 Lane (divided)100 km/h

The planned maximum gradient is 6.5%

Map showing route in yellow

Route features

Location[5]kmmiDestinationsNotes
Helidon Spa0.00.0 Warrego Highway (A2) – BrisbaneNo entry from Warrego Highway eastbound and no exit to Warrego Highway westbound (except via a new U-turn facility on the Warrego Highway)
Postmans Ridge3.82.4Murphys Creek Road bridge over TSRCNo entry or exit
Withcott8.75.4Gittens RoadNo entry or exit
Mount Kynoch16.8810.49East end of cutting
17.5810.92West end of cutting
18.611.6 New England Highway (A3/S85)No entry or exit
Cranley19.512.1Mort Street[6]All entry and exit options available. Bridge over Mort Street, with all entry and exit ramps to the west.
Boundary Street bridge over TSRC.Eastbound entry to and westbound exit from TSRC
Charlton27.7517.24 Warrego Highway (A2)All entry and exit options available
Wellcamp31.619.6Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road - east - Toowoomba /
west - Cecil Plains, Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport		All entry and exit options available
Athol40.9525.45 Gore Highway (A39/S85) westbound flyover
4327 Gore Highway (A39/S85)No entry from Gore Highway westbound
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Construction

The contract to design, construct, and maintain the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing was awarded to Nexus Infrastructure, a consortium of the Plenary Group, Cintra, Acciona, Ferrovial and Broadspectrum.[7][8]

Milestones

  • 31 January 2014 - Federal and state governments agreed to underwrite $1.6 billion to build a tunnel[9]
  • 21 August 2015 - The Nexus consortium awarded to finance, build, operate and maintain the motorway.[2]
  • 15 April 2016 - Start of major construction

Timeline

  • August 2015 — Contract awarded to Nexus Infrastructure[10]
  • April 2016 — Construction commenced
  • Late 2018[10]-mid 2019 — Scheduled completion. Originally scheduled for late 2018, but geological issues set back expected completion by 4 to 7 months.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Queensland Treasury and Trade (28 January 2014). "Toowoomba Second Range Crossing - Project Fact Sheet" (PDF). Projects Queensland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 November 2014.
  2. 1 2 Truss, Warren (3 July 2015). "Toowoomba Second Range Crossing preferred tenderer announced". Media Release (WT200/2015). Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  3. ↑ Main Roads (2013-11-01). "EPBC Referral Form" (PDF). Technical information. The State of Queensland (Queensland Treasury and Trade). Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  4. ↑ Projects Queensland (4 June 2014). "Toowoomba Second Range Crossing: Expression of Interest" (pdf). Expression of Interest. Queensland Government and Australian Government.
  5. ↑ "Toowoomba Second Range Crossing". Department of Transport and Main Roads. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 29 Oct 2017.
  6. ↑ "Mort Street interchange". Nexus Infrastructure. Retrieved 29 Oct 2017.
  7. ↑ About Nexus Toowoomba Second Range Crossing
  8. ↑ Nexus Consortium selected as preferred tenderer for Toowoomba Second Range Crossing Broadspectrum 6 July 2015
  9. ↑ Department of the Premier and Cabinet (31 January 2014). "Start for Toowoomba Second Range crossing project". Media Statements. The State of Queensland.
  10. 1 2 "Toowoomba Second Range Crossing". Queensland Treasury. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  11. ↑ "Jurassic problem on Toowoomba Second Range Crossing".
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