Kimberley Region, Western Australia
The Great Northern Highway is part of the Auslink National Road Network. It is the main land transport route between Perth and the Kimberley Region, and the only sealed road connecting Western Australia with the Northern Territory. It is a vital corridor for freight transport, tourism and defence.
Team Savannah, a joint venture between Laing O’Rourke, BGC Contracting and Maunsell Aecom, is involved in a two-stage $80 million contract to upgrade portions of the highway in the remote Kimberley region.
FEATURES:
The upgrade project involves improvement works on various sections of the Great Northern Highway with work undertaken at five sites within a 200 kilometre section between Kununurra and Halls Creek. Works will include:
- Elvire to Sandy Creek (approximately 20 kilometres north of the Halls Creek) – reconstruction of 19.7 kilometres in two sections including replacement of all culverts, drainage and floodway improvement and minor improvements to road alignment
- Fletchers Creek (approximately 80 kilometres north of Halls Creek) – construct a new two-lane 80 metre bridge and 1.5 kilometres of approaches
- Big Mabel Creek (approximately 20 kilometres south of Warmun) – demolish the existing 49 metre single lane bridge and construct a new two lane 60 metres bridge and half a kilometre of approaches
- Telegraph Creek (approximately 20 kilometres north of Warmun) - construct a new two-lane 60 metre bridge and one kilometre of approaches
- Bow River area (approximately 20 kilometres north of Warmun) – minor realignment and reconstruction of 18 kilometres including replacement of all culverts, drainage and floodway improvement and crest and curve improvements to improve sight distance and overall safety.
BENEFITS:
Early, collaborative involvement of Team Savannah provides Main Roads with a number of key benefits, including:
- provision of an integrated multi-disciplinary team aligned to project objectives and goals
- reduced tender costs and duplication of resources
- reduced time to commence construction with activities being undertaken concurrently and with flexibility in work scope
- higher involvement of all parties in determining and negotiating risks, design concepts, productivity milestones and final cost
- retention of knowledge and relationships between the key resources which will provide a smooth, timely, and cost efficient transition between the development, design and construct phases.
Key innovations that team has developed under this framework include:
- the development of a sustainability plan that focuses on achieving economic, social and environmental objectives
- a commitment to innovation through the development of a ‘Creative Centre’ which encourages discussion of new ideas and brainstorming to achieve value for money
- the implementation of an ‘Innovation Task Team’ that assesses all ideas, and promotes the team’s policy that ‘any idea is a good idea’.
CLIENT: Main Roads Western Australia
TESTIMONIAL:
The role of Team Savannah has been integral in the completion of this project. I congratulate you on a job well done.
Gary Gray, Parliamentary Secretary for Western and Northern Australia
