Toowoomba Second Range Crossing: Project Fact Sheet

EXISTING RANGE CROSSING
Motoring bodies regularly rate the existing range crossing as
one of the worst performing sections of road in Queensland.
With more than 23,000 cars and trucks using the crossing
daily, it is operating near capacity.
Project Fact Sheet - June 2014
Current issues
• Traffic incidents have doubled since 2010
• Subject to frequent road closures and significant delays
• Steep gradients of up to 10 per cent
THE PROJECT
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Toowoomba Second Range Crossing (TSRC) project
is the largest Commonwealth Government commitment
to a single regional road project in Queensland history. It
will significantly improve driver safety and ensure freight
efficiencies.
The TSRC is one of the Queensland Government’s top three
infrastructure priorities and involves:
Once complete, the TSRC will link Brisbane, the Darling
Downs and the Surat Basin on the road freight network.
LOCATION
The TSRC is a bypass route to the north of Toowoomba,
approximately 41km in length, running from the Warrego
Highway at Helidon in the east to the Gore Highway at Athol
in the west via Charlton.
• Construction of a second range crossing at Toowoomba
• Creation of purpose-built infrastructure that supports
heavy vehicles
• Tight horizontal bends in the road
TSRC BENEFITS
The TSRC will provide commercial vehicles with an
alternative crossing of the range, which will in turn improve
driver safety, relieve pressure on Toowoomba’s roads and
enhance liveability for the city’s residents.
Improved safety and efficiency
Productivity boost (over 30 years)
• $2.4 billion increase in economic activity in the
Toowoomba Region
• $3.1 billion increase in economic activity nationally
Job creation
• More than 1,800 full time equivalent jobs during the
3-year construction phase
• There will be an ongoing team to support the operations
and maintenance phase
• Almost 80 per cent of heavy and super heavy commercial
vehicles will be redirected away from the existing crossing
• TSRC traffic will bypass up to 18 sets of traffic lights,
depending on the route
• Travel time across the range will be reduced by up to 40
minutes
• Commercial vehicle operating costs will be reduced by
approximately 25 per cent
• Increase in freight efficiencies and access to markets will
benefit all sectors (e.g. Gross Regional Product from the
resource sector in the Surat Basin is forecast to increase
from approximately $11.1 billion in 2011 to more than
double that figure by 2031).
DESIGN
The final design for the TSRC will be selected at the
completion of the procurement phase in 2015.
The TSRC will be built on a corridor of reserved State-owned
land and include significant tunnel and bridge works.
The TSRC will be designed for a 100-year Average Recurrence
Interval flood event. It will have sufficient capacity to
cater for growth beyond 25 years and will be capable of
accommodating heavy and super heavy commercial vehicles.
FUNDING
The Commonwealth Government has committed
$1.285 billion to the project alongside a $321.25 million
commitment from the Queensland Government. The
Commonwealth and State Governments have committed to
fund the actual project costs on an 80:20 basis, subject to
the bids received demonstrating value for money.
DELIVERY
Projects Queensland, a unit of Queensland Treasury and
Trade, is managing the procurement phase of the TSRC.
The State is seeking to enter into a single contractual
arrangement for the design, construction, finance, operation
and maintenance of the road for a 25-year period.
The Registration of Interest (ROI) was released by the
Australian and Queensland Governments on 31 January
2014, and closed on 7 March receiving more than 60 ROIs.
The Expressions of Interest was released to market on
4 June 2014 and closed on 16 July 2014.
Contract award is expected in mid 2015, followed shortly
after by the construction stage of the project. The TSRC is
expected to be operational from mid to late 2018.
For more information please visit
qld.gov.au/tsrc
or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68)
HIGHFIELDS
KINGSTHORPE
GOWRIE
CTION
JUNCTION
To
Da
lby
Wa
rre
go
Hig
hw
ay
CHARLTON
TS R C
5
7
6
9
Mort Str e et
ba - Cecil Plains Road
Toowoom
HELIDON
o
rreg
a
W
2
11
ATHOL
wick
To Wa
r
G
To
o
d
on
Gore
way
High
New Eng
land Hig
hway
TOOWOOMBA
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
h vi
ew R
Gore Highway intersection at Athol
Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road signalised intersection
O’Mara’s Road overpass
Warrego Highway West signalised intersection
Hermatige Road overpass
Mort Street intersection
Brisbane-Toowoomba Railway
TSRC viaduct
Murphy’s Creek Road underpass
Gatton Creek
Grade separated intersection at Helidon
St Andrew’s Hospital
St Vincent’s Hospital
Toowoomba Base Hospital
Wellcamp Airport
University of Southern Queensland
d
p a Wa t er Roa
S
2
R oa
Bla
nc
Key
1
ek
Cre
WITHCOTT
er
cky
Lo
James S
treet
WELLCAMP
i
nd
i
iw 1
To Brisbane
oad
RC
S
T
ay
w
h
Hig
10
d
3
Mur
phy
8
Ganzer/H
ermatige
Road
4
s Creek Ro
ad
UPPER
LOCKYER
Business case reference design
April 2014
Final design may differ.