Industry has been briefed on the upcoming Adelaide O-Bahn extension project
Adelaide’s noted O-Bahn system will be upgraded with a three-year extension project and interested parties have been given an industry briefing.
The O-Bahn will be extended via a tunnel beneath Hackney Road, near Plane Tree Drive and under the busy North Terrace and Rundle Road intersections.
South Australia Acting Transport and Infrastructure Minister Tony Piccolo says the extension will create about 450 jobs during the three-year construction period.
“We have stringent tender requirements to make sure as much of the work as possible goes to local contractors and workers,” he says.
“The State Government wanted to bring interested parties’ to the table to help them have the best chance at securing work and being involved in this exciting project.
“The project will also be delivered in line with our Industry Participation Policy that ensures competitive small and medium enterprises are given every opportunity to be considered for these major works.”
Around 60 people attended the briefing to discuss the project, which, when completed, will reduce congestion for city traffic by diverting bus services to a new corridor,.
“Buses will no longer travel across the two very busy intersections at Hackney/Botanic Road and Dequetteville Terrace/Rundle Road where over 71,000 and 44,000 vehicles travel daily,” says Piccolo.
The project is undergoing planning to investigate a number of concept options.
The first round of geotechnical and ground water investigations were completed in mid-August and the findings are now being assessed.
Works are currently focussing on further planning, preliminary design, geotechnical, groundwater and services investigations, traffic management analysis, construction staging and stakeholder engagement.
Various tunnel engineering professional services have also been engaged to provide expert advice on mechanical, electrical, fire, IT and geotechnical tunnel engineering.
Major works are expected to begin in mid-2015 and be completed in mid-2017.