Douglas Arterial Duplication

Overview:

Duplication of the Douglas Arterial (Section 1 of the Ring Road) will turn the existing road into a median-divided, four-lane motorway.

The two new lanes and associated bridges will be built south of the existing road from University Road through to Riverway Drive, Condon, where it will connect with the recently opened Sections 2 and 3 of the Ring Road.

Location:

South of the existing road from University Drive through to Riverway Drive, Condon, where it will connect with the recently opened Sections 2 and 3 of the Ring Road.

Completion:

2012

Benefits:

The completed Ring Road provides a high-speed bypass of Townsville for heavy and commercial vehicles, as well as providing direct access to and from the Port Access Road (currently under construction).

Supplier:

Construction of these works is to be completed by Abi Group and Seymour Whyte Construction, known as the Abi Seymour Whyte Joint Venture (ASWJV).

Regions:

Northern Region

View larger image

Project info

The new 5.6 km road will follow the existing Transport and Main Roads reservation and alignment of the Douglas Arterial, with the two dual carriageways being separated by a median or barrier where required.

A new three-lane, 250 metre bridge across the Ross River and Riverway Drive will be constructed upstream of the existing Vickers Bridge, along with a two-lane bridge over Discovery Drive and University Creek. The grade-separated interchanges at University Road and Angus Smith Drive will also be duplicated.

As with the existing Douglas section, the new road will comprise two 3.5 metre-wide lanes with two 2 metre-wide shoulders (a total of 11 metres wide). It will be built as a motorway with a speed limit of 100 km/h and the usual restrictions (no mopeds, animals, farm vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians) will apply.

The duplication of the Douglas Arterial will contribute directly to the provision of a safe, efficient and reliable road network. The main thrust of the project is to ensure that the capacity is sufficient to meet the traffic demands of the road in 2012 and beyond.

This project will provide the following benefits:

Increased traffic capacity, which will reduce operational costs by improving trip times and reducing queuing behind heavy vehicles
Improved safety by providing a median-divided dual carriageway and opportunities for safe overtaking, thereby reducing both the chances of accidents and the severity of any accidents that might occur
Increased efficiency of the route as a transport corridor through reduced travel times, thereby improving the productivity of nationally strategic and export-oriented freight corridors
Improved reliability of travel on interstate and interregional corridors
Improved travel along the primary connection between northern Townsville and industrial centres in Stuart.

This project will ensure that the Douglas section of the Ring Road provides a level of service and economic operation that is acceptable to all stakeholders and the wider community.