Shaw Contracting (Aust) Pty Ltd is a leader in Tasmania’s road construction, dam building, irrigation, civil infrastructure and mining industries.
The company boasts a workforce of over 100 highly skilled and motivated people both directly and by subcontract. Based at Whitemore in Northern Tasmania, Shaw has operations located across the State.
At Shaw, we believe that the strength of our company is the combined talent, commitment and operational effectiveness of our employees. Shaw’s expertise and multi-skilled workforce enables the business to manage the most challenging of projects, delivering consistently on time and to the highest of standards.
ABOUTFeature Project
Midland Highway
Tundbridge (White Lagoon) to Mona Vale Road
The White Lagoon (Tunbridge) to Mona Vale Project is located on the Midland Highway from the northern side of Tunbridge Tier Road junction to just north of Mona Vale Road junction. To achieve a minimum 3 Star AusRAP rating, the scope of the Project involves widening the existing Midland Highway to provide alternating lengths of “2+1” lane arrangements separated by a central flexible safety barrier.
VIEW PROJECTProject Profile
Midland Highway
Tundbridge (White Lagoon) to Mona Vale Road
Task
The White Lagoon (Tunbridge) to Mona Vale Project is located on the Midland Highway from the northern side of Tunbridge Tier Road junction to just north of Mona Vale Road junction. To achieve a minimum 3 Star AusRAP rating, the scope of the Project involves widening the existing Midland Highway to provide alternating lengths of “2+1” lane arrangements separated by a central flexible safety barrier.
The Project also included improvements to the horizontal alignment of the highway, localised improvements to vertical curves, provision of turn facilities, safer access to adjacent land, and upgrades to the Tunbridge Main Road and Mona Vale Road junctions.
The key outcomes of the Project were:
- Improvements to the overall capacity of the highway to cater for future traffic growth and freight movements
- Additional safe overtaking opportunities through provision of a “2+1” lane arrangement
- Head-on collisions will be eliminated through provision of a flexible safety barrier within a central median
- The section of Midland Highway between White Lagoon (Tunbridge) and Mona Vale will be rated a minimum 3-Star under the AusRAP rating system
To achieve the Department of State Growth’s project objectives, Shaw were required to undertake the following works:
- Excavate 180,000 cubic meters of assorted material
- Drill, Blast, Excavate and Place 110,000 cubic meters of Dolorite Rock
- Construct 160,000 cubic meters of embankment
- Supply and place a combined total of 451,000 square meters of pavement material
- Supply and install 15,100 meters of Tensioned Wire Rope Safety Fence
- Stuck underpass construction and extension to exiting
- Multiple drainage structure installations and improvements
- Extensive traffic signage and furniture installations
Shaw Design Innovations
This project was Construct only, that being said; Shaw were instrumental in providing solutions to design issues throughout the project from major access and drainage redesign; through to the redesign of a 2km section of the project that was not fit for purpose which now meets the requirements of the AusRAP 3 Star Safety Rating, this result was achieved by Shaw collaboratively working with the Principle to achieve the best project outcomes.
Shaw Construction Innovations and Challenges
Shaw undertook the complicated construction requirements of this project whilst instigating an innovative construction staging plan that resulted in no delays to road users over and above the standard traffic management requirements. During the construction phase Shaw changed the vertical alignment in places up to 9m, the horizontal alignment was changed by up to 50m whist maintain two lanes of traffic at all times. To achieve this excellent outcome with minimum delays incurred by road users was a great demonstration of Shaw’s ability to be innovative in our project delivery. Furthermore; Shaw undertook the blasting of over 110,000m3 of solid Dolorite Rock adjacent to the existing Highway and close to historically sensitive structures, by implementing an innovative Blasting process with specially timed detonation and blasts sequences whilst providing best practice blast monitoring, Shaw completed all of the blasting works with zero impact on the surrounding structures and barely a pebble landing on the highway, this was an excellent outcome.
Outcome
Shaw delivered the Midland Highway, Tundbridge (White Lagoon) to Mona Vale Road, Road Improvements and Safety Upgrade Roadworks Project to the highest standard meeting and exceeding the Clients expectation, without significant hold ups to road users and without incident.
Shaw are very proud to have been a part of this project working collaboratively with the Department of State Growth and all stakeholders to improve the Midlands Highway and Tasmania’s infrastructure to meet the requirements of the residents, interstate and overseas visitors alike both now and in to the future.
