Joint Statement: Tunnel breakthrough on congestion busting Busway

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Joint Statement:

Premier
The Honourable Anna Bligh

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
28/09/2008

Tunnel breakthrough on congestion busting Busway


Tunnel boring at the Boggo Road Busway has been completed marking a major milestone for the congestion busting project.

Premier Anna Bligh said the project's 105 tonne drilling machine broke through weeks ahead of schedule on Friday.

The completion of tunneling on the 630m underground section makes it the longest busway tunnel in Australia.

The Premier and Transport Minister John Mickel walked through the underground route which passes just six metres underneath the heritage listed Boggo Road jail today.

"This is a key section of the new $226 million Boggo Road Busway and work on the tunnel has been ongoing for just over one year," Ms Bligh said.

"When this project is completed in mid 2009 it will take up to 600 buses off the road every day which means up to 13,000 passengers will use this busway daily.

"Just one full bus takes 40 cars off the road and this busway will cut up to 40 minutes off the peak travel time for some buses to Queensland University.

"It will take buses directly off the busy Ipswich and Annerley Roads providing immediate benefits for motorists.

"This new link in the busway network - along with the recently opened $333 million Inner Northern Busway - will mean that buses can travel from the centre of the city to the University of Queensland without travelling on a normal road freeing up routes like Coronation Drive.

"That will make the journey quicker for people using the buses and make journeys across the city easier for motorists."

The finished tunnel will be six metres high from the ceiling to the busway pavement and it's depth below the surface ranges from six metres to 20 metres.

Over 46,800 cubic metres of earth were removed during its construction by a tunneling work crew of 31 men divided into three shifts working 24 hours a day, six days a week.

The new busway will connect the Eleanor Schonell Bridge, the University of Queensland and the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

From a bus station at Park Road train station, the 1.5km long busway will continue along the tunnel below the Boggo Road Gaol, Annerley Road and Gair Park before emerging at Dutton Park.

Transport Minister John Mickel praised the construction team for their innovation working underneath the heritage-listed Boggo Road Gaol.

"Constructing a tunnel only six metres beneath the iconic gaol buildings has been an exacting challenge for the designers and the tunnel crew," Mr Mickel said.

"Not only have they successfully excavated the tunnel without damage to the gaol, but their safety record has been outstanding, with no injuries requiring workers to take time off.

"The team's commitment to the environment and the local community has proved that construction in the inner suburbs can be managed sensitively."

With homes, a primary school and residential accommodation for people with disabilities nearby, the project team has been able to devise methods to reduce disruption.

They built a special acoustic door for the tunnel entrance which was closed during night operations to minimise noise.

Geological conditions along the tunnel route vary greatly and include very hard 'Brisbane Tuff', the rock which gives the Kangaroo Point cliffs their distinctive colour.

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