Legacy Way named 2015 top project by infrastructure group
25-03-2015
Brisbane’s Legacy Way has been named Australia’s most outstanding new infrastructure project of 2015 by a major construction lobby group.
Infrastructure Partnerships Australia named the $1.5 billion tunnel as it’s 2015 “project of the year” on Wednesday night, with the Gold Coast’s Light Rail and Queensland’s Australia Pacific LNG project listed as finalists.
The other finalist in the category was Sydney’s 11.4 kilometre South West Rail Link.
The eastern portal to the Legacy Way tunnel in Kelvin Grove. Photo: Supplied
An IPA spokeswoman said the award recognised a combination financial, advisory, contractor and government partnership excellence.
“Legacy Way’s real legacy is that it has permanently changed Australia’s approach to tunnelling projects,” chief executive Brendan Lyon said.
“Legacy Way has used world-leading tunnelling technologies that are now being applied to other projects across the East Coast, including the North West Rail Link in Sydney.”
The tunnel, which connects Toowong and Kelvin Grove, was a pet project of former Brisbane lord mayor and Queensland premier Campbell Newman.
It is set to open by the middle of the year and is being built by a consortium including Brisbane-based BMD, Italian company Ghella and Spanish business Acciona Infrastructure.
The council predicts 24,000 motorists a day will use the road, however road operators Transurban (formerly Queensland Motorways) have predicted it could be as low as 16,700.
About 42 per cent of residents in Brisbane’s western suburbs said they were likely to use the tunnel, according to a council-commissioned survey carried out by independent researchers Roy Morgan in 2014.
Motorists are also yet to find out how high the tolls will be, although Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has said they could be as high as $5.