Seymour Whyte awarded $110m Port Drive Upgrade in Brisbane

Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd is delivering a $110 million upgrade to Port Drive and the local road network, delivering safer and more efficient port roads. This upgrade, which is being brought forward well ahead of capacity demand, "will help ensure the Port of Brisbane continues to meet the needs of industry and customers as trade grows." 

Seymour Whyte Constructions Pty Ltd has been selected as the successful Design Development and Construction contractor and will work with PBPL to deliver the project. Commenting on the project, Seymour Whyte Managing Director and Chief Executive officer John Kirkwood explained:

"The Port Drive Upgrade announcement follows a competitive tender process and was based on an innovative design solution for an overpass on a new road extension to the Port of Brisbane in Queensland.

"Across the Group, we are seeing a more favourable outlook, with improving momentum in public infrastructure opportunities where the Group is either shortlisted or preferred tenderer on a number of airport and transport infrastructure projects in New South Wales and Queensland.

“We are actively tendering in Victoria where there are strong identified opportunities for market penetration by Seymour Whyte, as well as in Queensland and New South Wales where we are leveraging on our strategic partnerships to support the Group in competing for larger projects.

"The announcement as preferred contractor for the $83m contract, along with $52m in recently secured work announced in May 2016 for the Showground Road Upgrade and Nepean River Bridge projects, will increase the Group’s order book to $380 million of which $290 million is expected to be  delivered in FY17." 

IMAGE: Port of Brisbane Project Map - PBPL

According to Queensland Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports Mark Bailey, the project will support almost 390 jobs during its two-year construction and is essential to maintaining the Port’s competitiveness and productivity. The planned upgrades will include the duplication of Port Drive, the construction of a four-lane overpass over the Port Drive and Kite Street intersection, upgrades to the Tanker Street/Osprey Drive road network as well as the duplication of Lucinda Drive Bridge on Fisherman Islands.

Early works are expected to begin in July with construction anticipated to commence in September and to be completed in May 2018. Seymour Whyte previously completed the Port of Brisbane Motorway project valued at $135 million.