Mount Lindesay Highway Upgrade:
North Maclean Safety Improvements

The project scope includes:

• earthworks and embankment construction
• over 24,000 cubic metres of excavation
• installation of culvert structures beneath the Mount Lindesay Highway including staged construction and traffic management
• installation of service and drainage infrastructure
• construction of all pavement surfaces including concrete, asphalt and seal finishes
• installation of masts and lights for a new signalised intersection at Greenbank Road
• construction of new private property accesses to the boundary of several rural residential and commercial properties.
• nightworks on the Mount Lindesay Highway including the implementation of traffic control and installation of traffic barriers
• traffic staging and temporary traffic arrangements designed and implemented to TMR’s MUTCD and the relevant AustRoads standards
• community engagement during works and enabling a dialogue during construction to facilitate property access, minimise disruption to public transport services, re-construction of private property access, and project progress.

The project presented unique challenges, including:

• management of 23,897 vehicles per day, which included 15.69% heavy vehicles
• allowance for B-double access throughout project delivery
• phasing of works including the staged construction of Greenbank Road Intersection
• installation of services (including box culverts with multiple cells, stormwater drainage lines and electrical/communications infrastructure) across the Mount Lindesay Highway (including throughout Greenbank Road intersection) installed under traffic arrangements and live traffic
• deep lift asphalt pavements constructed under staging arrangements
• Multiple, concurrent work areas
• community and stakeholder management.

Significant, proactive, and collaborative management of Red Imported Fire Ants occurred with Biosecurity Queensland, resulting in a letter of endorsement being received from the managing Biosecurity Officer.

The project was located within Fire Ant Biosecurity Zone 1 and shared a border with Fire Ant Zone 2. It was important that any movements from the site were compliant with the legislation and regulations surrounding the management of Fire Ants in Queensland.

The project team identified early that the location of the site presented risks associated with earth fill and spoil material that had to be removed from the project and either disposed of or reused elsewhere.

With limited commercially viable options within project work areas, SEE Civil engaged Biosecurity Queensland to develop a solution that would enable the movement of fill into other work zones using a non-standard approach to risk mitigation.

The team worked closely to identify, develop, and implement an appropriate strategy. Several meetings took place to propose solutions to the movement of spoil which included activities aimed at mitigating risk.

These included the use of specialist Fire Ant odour detection dogs at the source site and treatment with a chemical toxicant at the destination site, to minimise the risk of spread. This was the first time that such an approach had been considered and implemented. A permit was granted which enabled project milestones to be met.