The Smith Street Motorway provides a vital link to the northern suburbs of the Gold Coast (Queensland, Australia) and alleviates congestion for the 100,000 vehicles that travel in the area each day. The Department of Transport and Main Roads appointed the GC Connect Joint Venture between Seymour Whyte and WSP to deliver the design and construct contract.
The upgrade provided an additional lane and upgraded the existing roadway. A new free-flowing interchange loop allows southbound Olsen Avenue motorists to access the Smith Street Motorway westbound without stopping at traffic signals. There is also improved connectivity and safety for pedestrians and on-road cycling provisions.
Less Congestion and More Safety
The project saw a number of design innovations including the re-use of culverts, the rehabilitation of pavements using Foamed Bitumen Stabilised Base (FBSB) and formulating an effective solution for safe fauna crossing. As a design and construct project, the design was intrinsically linked to the construction program and overall project performance.
Despite experiencing a significant amount of rainfall during the construction period and with an increase in project scope, the AU$78 million upgrade reached practical completion in June 2015 under budget and four months’ ahead of schedule.
