Contract: TNC 8/99 

Client: Public Transport Authority

Location: North Metropolitan Area, Perth 

Timeframe: May - July 2009 and Jan - Feb 2010

Project Value: $7 million 


Project Description

Mitchell Freeway Barrier Upgrade for PTA
Highway Construction has completed extensive lengths of barrier upgrade via Best Roads Group for the Public Transport Authority that separates traffic from the central rail lines and stations at various locations along the Mitchell Freeway. Highway Construction is currently upgrading 600m of rail safety barrier upgrade from Hutton Street to Karrinyup Road on Mitchell Freeway northbound. Works commenced January 18 and are expected to be completed by March.

The works are a combination of slip form and wire rope barriers and require complex traffic planning by a Traffic Engineer. Highway Construction engineers have been instrumental in planning the works with both the traffic engineer and specialist subcontractors where the widths and access to the worksite of all plant and equipment required careful consideration and management on the basis of traffic flows of typically 60,000 vehicles per day. Key elements of traffic management and planning for the project include:

• A permanent lateral shift of one lane to allow safe working distance for plant and equipment over a 6 week period.
• Temporary speed reductions from 100km/hr to 60km/hr. Installation and maintenance of traffic control devices including bollards (temporary and fixed), VMBs, Arrow boards, temporary whitelining, and signage.
• Temporary alteration of freeway on / off ramp arrangements
• 24 hour monitoring and surveillance by the traffic control crew over the worksites
• Extensive use of TL4 rated barriers during construction to separate traffic from works and protect excavations. Lengths of up to 2.7km were installed which required a separate traffic plan for night time installations
• Regular communication with MRWA traffic operations as part of an ongoing public information strategy
• Maintaining the train service without disruption throughout the project.