Michael Rummery
Divisional Manager - Hunter Civil
Leadership Team
Client Information
Client:
Roads & Maritime Services
Duration:
March 2018 — January 2020
Value:
$94M
Location:
Scone, NSW
Summary
To the west of the township of Scone, Daracon was commissioned in 2017 by Transport for NSW to construct a 5.5km bypass of the A15 New England Highway, through the Kingdon Ponds floodplain.
Daracon Landscaping were awarded the landscaping package for the Scone Bypass in late February 2019, this enabled the required plant species, numbers and sizes to be available for when planting works begin in January 2020.
Scope of Works
- 5.5km of new two lane highway;
- Utility relocation and protection works;
- Multi-cell box culvert crossings;
- Heavy bound pavement with SMA wearing course;
- At-grade connection at St Aubins Street, including road upgrade of St Aubins Street;
- At-grade connection with the existing and realigned New England Highway on the northern side of town;
- Removal of existing intersection on the New England Highway with Makybe Diva Street and new roundabout intersection on Makybe Diva Street;
- Approximately 215,000m³ of imported fill material;
- Construction of a bridge over Kelly Street South Loop (the overall length of this bridge was 64.5 m and consisted of three spans, each 21.5 m in length, with the central span crossing over Kelly Street);
- Grade-separated connection with the existing New England Highway;
- Construction of a bridge over the Main Northern Railway (the overall length of this bridge was 99.5 m and consisted of three spans, two spans that are 33.23m on a 50 deg skew and one span was 33.0m in length, with the central span crossing the existing rail line);
- Construction of a bridge over Parsons Gully with an overall length of 540m that consisted of twenty spans, each 27m in length;
- Ripping, cultivation and incorporating additives to gardens beds;
- Application of Eco Blanket with native seed to stabilize bridge approach batters;
- Import and place woodchip to individual plantings and garden beds;
- Supply and laying of turf to footpaths;
- Supply and planting of native grasses of tubestock, 2.5lt and 5lt shrubs, 45lt and 100lt advance feature trees;
- Preparation and installation of Deco Granit paths; and
- Extensive watering over the entire length of the project with 14 month maintenance.
Challenges
- Management of community aspects and impacts associated with increased traffic generation associated from construction traffic, noise, air quality and vibration;
-
Transportation and delivery of large concrete pre-cast bridge structures to site from offsite casting yards;
-
Working over and adjacent to a live rail line posed various risks including WHS, constructability and program;
- The alignment of the bypass corridor was located within a floodplain;
- Overcoming the extreme weather conditions with no rain for over 7 months and 40+ degrees days when planting initially began in January 2020;
- Successfully completing work on multiple work fronts over a very large area; and
- Persevering with difficulty in germinating the native seed in the Eco Blanket due to the extreme drought conditions.
