Companies have been invited to tender for the construction of the $28 million Vines Creek Bridges Replacement Project in Mackay, Queensland.
According to Main Roads and Road Safety Minister Mark Bailey, the project will be replacing the two double lane bridges on Mackay Slade Point Road.
“An average of 42 jobs will be supported over the life of the project, which has been brought forward under the Palaszczuk Government’s Accelerated Works Program.
“The tender phase has been brought forward nine months and the construction period six months, which is great news for the construction industry,” Mr Bailey said.
Julianne Gilbert, Member for Mackay, said that the design for the replacement bridges have already been completed and that submission of tenders are now open. Ms Gilbert also said that the next step will be awarding the successful tenderer in March 2017 and begin the construction phase in April the same year.
“The Vines Creek Bridges are the sole access for heavy vehicles travelling to and from the Mackay Port, making them a vital link in Mackay’s transport network.
“Out of the 15,400 vehicles that travel on Mackay-Slade Point Road between North Mackay and the harbour roundabout each day, 10 per cent of these are commercial vehicles,” Ms Gilbert said.
The replacement bridges are designed to have an increased mass limit in order to accommodate heavy vehicles – such as those that transport commodities like fuel, sugar and mining equipment – from the Port of Mackay.
According to Ms Gilbert, construction of a dedicated footbridge is included in the design for the Vines Creek Bridges Replacement Project.
“Having a dedicated shared path for pedestrians and cyclists will help promote cycling as a viable transport option in Mackay and improve safety for all road users.
“The project will also benefit the wider community with flood improvement,” Ms Gilbert said.
Weather permitting, construction is expected to be completed by March 2019.
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