Warrego Highway Upgrade – Wallumbila
The Warrego Highway acts as Queensland’s principal east-west freight route, extending west 714km from Brisbane to Charleville, providing an essential strategic link in Queensland’s National and State Road Networks.
Projects in this link are to be developed not to preclude the future use of PBS Level 4A vehicles (Type-2 Road trains).
Client
Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR)
Project Category
Civil Engineering
Timeframe
June 2022 – August 2023
Our Project Mission
The objectives for this project were to deliver a value-for-money intersection upgrade with reduced whole-of-life costs, improved capacity (Type-1 vehicle path geometry), safety, improved freight efficiency and accessibility, and network consistency.
The design included pedestrian connectivity to provide safer pedestrian access between the northern and southern parts of Wallumbilla.
Our Approach
The design included formation widening and pavement rehabilitation of the existing Warrego Highway to allow for 3.5m traffic lanes, 1.5m sealed shoulders and regraded batter slopes and table drains. Provisions for a stopping bay for heavy vehicles were included, and consideration for the connectivity to the Calico Cottage Rest Area. The widening was constrained due to the heritage listed Queens Theatre.
The widening Warrego Highway, Wallumbilla South Road, and Chadford Street intersection included short lane Channelised Right-turn (CHR[S]) treatments and intersection street lighting. Further widening was provided at Landsborough Street, Flinders Street, and the proposed property access road to provide a Basic Right-turn (BAR) treatment. Existing culverts impacted were extended.
The service road, George Street, was reconfigured to provide one-way movement and included on-street parking. A new footpath was provided between the pharmacy on George Street and the existing railway crossing to the east of Wallumbilla South Road.
A landscape design was undertaken to provide a soft landscape with plantings of a low growth height (maintain sight lines), minimal ongoing maintenance concerning watering, and plant selection appropriate to the landscape (inter lowlands), weather, environment, and soil conditions.
A road safety audit was completed to identify safety concerns and deficiencies associated with the detailed design.