12 January, 2023
Eastbound Range Crossing to remain closed until next year
Construction company NEXUS has committed to covering the costs of repairs as part of its contract with the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR).
Oakey district motorists hoping for an early end to the closure of the eastbound section of the Toowoomba Bypass will have to wait until next year, according to the Department of Transport and Main Roads.
James Thewlis of NEXUS said the company could not forecast a finish before the end of this year (2023).
“Current estimates indicate that opening the eastbound lanes of the bypass will take place in February next year,” Mr Thewlis said.
The project will involve the movement of 30,000 cubic metres of earth to reduce the structural impact of the damage done.
The cut rock is sensitive to rainfall and moves for days.
Mr Thewlis said the rock slide incident that preceded the road’s closure was an accident waiting to happen.
“It would appear that there was a build up of water over the last twelve months and the rain we had in October was the
straw that broke the camel’s back.
“There’s a thin layer of very weak material under the surface.”
One restriction on the progress of the work is the lack of space available in which to operate on site, which puts worker safety at risk.
The Department of Transport and- Main Roads Project Manager said that taxpayers would not have to cover the costs of the damage.
“The repair of the works will be entirely undertaken by Nexus as part of our partnership with them,” he said.
“I’d like to thank the Toowoomba community for their ongoing patience as these works commence.”
While the works are in progress, heavy traffic will
be directed through the old James Street route in Toowoomba to the Helidon junction.
The bypass will remain closed at the Warrego West interchange in Charlton.
Last month, a TMR spokesperson said that the permanent works would begin in early 2023.
“Investigations into the permanent works have begun, which will finalise a design and plan to complete the works,” the spokesperson said.
“The current target is to start reconstruction works in March 2023.
“These are expected to take at least six months to complete.
“A firm estimate of the timing of reconstruction will be known once the design is completed.
“About 1,150 additional heavy vehicles per day are being diverted through Toowoomba while the eastbound lanes are closed,” the spokesperson said.
The eastern section Toowoomba Bypass was opened in September 2019.
It was estimated that construction had been delayed by six months on this section, due to ‘geological issues’.
It’s understood safety issues were a concern for workers on the mine, with the Construction Forestry Maritime Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) calling for the resignation of the TMR’s Director-General Neil Scales, who
was in charge for the duration of the majority of the project.
In the period up to 2017, twenty-one construction vehicles had rolled over on the steep terrain and then CFMEU Assistant Secretary Andrew Sutherland said the work was “an accident waiting to happen.”
“There’s just too much of a push on the job,” he said.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey has placed the blame on the former Newman Government’s decision to award the contract for the bypass to Nexus, saying it was too late to back out once the current administration had taken office.
“At that advanced stage of the procurement process, any intervention would
have put back the project many years at time when major infrastructure jobs were at a shortage after
years of LNP cuts,” Mr Bailey said.
“Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace and I acted together at the time to improve safety on the Toowoomba Bypass construction site by meeting face to face with Nexus to rectify safety deficiencies on behalf of construction workers.”
The Minister said the Government had done its best to mitigate safety concerns during the period since 2015.
“Since that time, the contract form has been reformed under the Palaszczuk Labor Government via Best Practice Industry Conditions to prevent the safety deficiencies that happened on that project’s construction,” he said.
“Any attempt to re-write history for whatever reason is not helpful nor accurate.”
