Construction Traffic Management
Kwinana Freeway Northbound – First Smart Freeways
About:
Kwinana Freeway northbound, from Roe Highway to the Narrows Bridge, has delivered on its promise, with drivers saving up to 10 minutes on journey times.
Along with installing new technologies and traffic signals at five northbound on-ramps, Perth’s first Smart Freeway involved converting the emergency lane into an additional traffic lane, from Canning Highway to the Narrows – a location where space precluded traditional widening to reduce congestion, increase safety, and improve travel times.
Challenges:
The existing constraints associated with the location of the northbound Kwinana Freeway, bound by the swan river to the west and the existing train line to the east, created a narrow working space and required a strategic approach to ensure the constructability. Additionally, as part of the project proposal, twelve overhead gantries had to be also installed across the northbound carriageway of the freeway which required freeway closure.
Solutions:
Over two years, our engineering team worked closely with the project team with execution in mind to obtain all project objectives within time and budget through a staged and strategic complex traffic management.
We assisted the Main Roads to close the freeway over three stages to enable gantry installation with appropriate and practical detour routes in place. Created a safe worksite for all workers to ensure constructability by choosing an appropriate barrier type, creating effective traffic staging, and proposing appropriate traffic control measures.
Our team also assisted with an accurate scoping of the project and arranged traffic management crews for implantation for the life of the project and ensured all operational site requirements were checked at all times.
“Lara performed her role as a Traffic Manager on the SmartWays Alliance project very effectively and collaboratively and became an integral member of the project team from the start right through to the finish line. With Lara's collaborative approach, confident experience base, and positive relationship and communications with Road Network Operations Centre (RNOC) and the local councils, this process became very streamlined ad efficient and resulted in earlier than usual Traffic Management Plan approval time, which was a great benefit to the project progress. Lara performed her role with due diligence, enthusiasm and always held safety as the number 1 priority.“
