Gateway WA

GATEWAY WA

 

Our guest speaker today (May 26, 2015) was Kate Chapman from the Gateway WA Project.  She provided some background information regarding the roadworks that are happening around the Perth Airport and Kewdale Freight precinct.  The work is massive and the amazing thing is that it is projected to be completed 6 months earlier than expected. 

 

Included in the work were:

 

They are also putting in some 21 kilometres of pathways for cyclist and pedestrian use.

 

They have faced a number of challenges during the time they have been upgrading the roads, and these challenges included, working with live services (water and power), working around the constant traffic flow, staging the construction work and rerouting the traffic to minimise disruption; high water table in the area; and working with the aviation industry to ensure that when the really large cranes were in use they didn't interfere with landing aircraft. 

 

The workers have been working day and night to ensure they get done what needs to be done.  Several methods of 'bridge' construction have been used - the one at Horrie Miller Drive had the bridge spans lifted in from above; whilst the one at Leach Highway used a top down method, where the bridge was built first and then the soil underneath was excavated away.   

 

You can log onto the gatewaywa.com.au website to get more information about the building of the road system.  They show us how to use the new 'single point' urban interchange system - as we apparently will need to approach accessing them differently.  The latest aerial maps and views of the future traffic movements are also shown there.

 

Thanks Kate for a very informative session.