Nexus Infrastructure group has signed a contract with the Australian government to deliver the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing project in Queensland state, costing nearly US$1.2 billion.
Nexus will design construct, finance, operate and maintain the 41km route that will bypass the city of Toowoomba, east to west.
Toowomba and district, with a population of around 158,000, is inland 125km west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane, on Australia’s northeast coast.
The route will also be another highway crossing the Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands. It is Australia's most substantial mountain range, stretching more than 3,500km from north to south along the eastern side of the continent.
Nexus Infrastructure consists of financial advisory and investor Plenary Group, investors930 Cintra and 976 Acciona Concessions, as well as the construction joint venture of Acciona Infrastructure and 2717 Ferrovial Agroman, and finally 1304 Transfield Services as the project’s operations and maintenance provider.
The Australian Government has committed nearly $952 million to fund the project and the Queensland Government has committed $235 million.
According to the Queensland government, the contract is an availability-based public private partnership. Using this model, Queensland will provide upfront government funding contributions during the construction stage of the project and ongoing service payments over the 25 year operation and maintenance stage, which will be dependent on performance.
Construction is expected to be complete in late 2018, after which Nexus is contracted to operate and maintain the road for 25 years, according to a statement from Nexus.
Key features of Nexus' proposed design solution include:
Nexus said it is aiming for around 76% local involvement through procurement right from the procurement stage through to the operation and maintenance period.
Up to 1,800 full-time jobs are likely during the construction and maintenance of the project that should divert almost 80% of heavy and super-heavy commercial vehicles away from the existing range crossing. It should also reduce their driving time past Toowoomba by 40 minutes, not least because drivers will avoid 18 sets of traffic lights on the existing route directly through town.
Nexus will design construct, finance, operate and maintain the 41km route that will bypass the city of Toowoomba, east to west.
Toowomba and district, with a population of around 158,000, is inland 125km west of Queensland's capital city Brisbane, on Australia’s northeast coast.
The route will also be another highway crossing the Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands. It is Australia's most substantial mountain range, stretching more than 3,500km from north to south along the eastern side of the continent.
Nexus Infrastructure consists of financial advisory and investor Plenary Group, investors
The Australian Government has committed nearly $952 million to fund the project and the Queensland Government has committed $235 million.
According to the Queensland government, the contract is an availability-based public private partnership. Using this model, Queensland will provide upfront government funding contributions during the construction stage of the project and ongoing service payments over the 25 year operation and maintenance stage, which will be dependent on performance.
Construction is expected to be complete in late 2018, after which Nexus is contracted to operate and maintain the road for 25 years, according to a statement from Nexus.
Key features of Nexus' proposed design solution include:
- Four lanes from Warrego Highway east interchange to Warrego Highway west;
- Grade separated interchanges at Warrego Highway West, Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road and Gore Highway;
- A grade separated connection to Mort Street;
- A cutting around 30m deep at the top of the Toowoomba Range will be constructed as an alternative to the tunnel solution detailed in the reference design; this will allow all heavy vehicles, including dangerous goods and over-dimensional, to use the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing;
- An 800m viaduct built over the existing Queensland Rail line;
- Continuity of the New England Highway through a new bridge over the cutting.
Nexus said it is aiming for around 76% local involvement through procurement right from the procurement stage through to the operation and maintenance period.
Up to 1,800 full-time jobs are likely during the construction and maintenance of the project that should divert almost 80% of heavy and super-heavy commercial vehicles away from the existing range crossing. It should also reduce their driving time past Toowoomba by 40 minutes, not least because drivers will avoid 18 sets of traffic lights on the existing route directly through town.
