No 1 No 2 EastLink crosses The distinctive curved another major highway form of the EastLink at the Monash , Operations Centre the biggest junction at Ringwood on the new road

2

INTRODUCTORY WORDS FROM MP 03 Artworks 39

MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE OPENS 05 BEHIND THE SCENES 46

EASTLINK: A WINNER ALL THE WAY 07 FAST-PACED AND TIGHTLY CONTROLLED 47

Fast Facts On EastLink 09 GORDON RALPH PROFILE 49

KEN MATHERS PROFILE 15 Artists’ Impressions 50

The Initial Plans 16 VALLEY’S COMPLEX TUNNEL 51

JOHN GARDNER PROFILE 17 THE RAIL BRIDGE SLIDE 53

Local Community Welcomes EastLink 18 PRECAST YARD’S FLEXIBILITY 55

A ROUTE OF OPPORTUNITY 20 ‘PROVEN TECHNOLOGY’ AT LAUNCH 58

The EastLink Trail 21 ROAD CONTROL AND OPERATIONS 59

EASTLINK OFFERS SOMETHING EXTRA 22 A MAJOR ABORIGINAL SITE 61

A ROAD OF DISTINCTION 25 LESSONS LEARNED FROM EASTLINK 63

MILLIONS OF PLANTS 31 Artworks 64

Environment, Flora, Fauna 35 AND TO SUM UP... 65

EXPLAINING EASTLINK 37

Produced by Route 2 Market Ltd. www.route2market.com Published in association with World Highways magazine ISSN 0964-4598

Editor: Adrian Greeman Managing Editor: John Clucas Sub-editor: Patrick Smith Technical Editor: Jason Barnes Design: Moss Advertising Copyright: ConnectEast, SEITA No 3 Clean lines and bold colour are signature features of the road’s appearance

VICTORIA’S MINISTER FOR ROADS AND PORTS

The early completion of EastLink, the largest and public art demonstrates the importance transport plan enables the construction road project in during its construction, of urban design in . industry and the communities they work with demonstrates the ability of the Victorian to prepare for the challenges of the future. Government and industry to build successful Likewise, emphasis on environmental partnerships and deliver successful projects. initiatives and community engagement has I want to congratulate ConnectEast, its design been a key ingredient, with the preservation and construction contractor Thiess John Holland EastLink is good news for Victoria, of the Mullum Mullum Valley and creation and the government agency SEITA for generating significant employment of significant wetlands and public parks delivering EastLink so far ahead of time. and business opportunities, including a long-lasting testament to EastLink. I also congratulate the local councils an estimated A$15 billion boost to the and communities along the project corridor local economy and 14,000 jobs during With EastLink now fully operational, for their involvement and cooperation in its construction and operation. It has also the Victorian Government is looking ahead the EastLink project. EastLink is a landmark been good news for the construction industry to meet the transportation needs of our project for the State and its experience which delivered the project five months community and economy. EastLink has will help us to achieve even greater benefits ahead of schedule. shown what can be achieved when projects for Victorian motorists and businesses in are planned in advance, and the Brumby the future. Of course, as this magazine highlights, Government is continuing this tradition EastLink is more than a road. It has been by releasing its long-term transport plan. Tim Pallas, designed in keeping with ’s focus Infrastructure is central to our success Victorian Minister for Roads on the built environment and its architecture and prosperity as a community and a long-term and Ports

03 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 04 No 4, 5 Transparent noise walls, part of EastLink’s striking urban design

The 39km EastLink toll motorway was of Australia’s largest project, celebrated Melbourne CityLink and the Harbour officially opened by Victorian Premier the successful and early completion of Tunnel. He rates EastLink as one of the most on 28 June, 2008: on-budget “the landmark Public Private Partnership impressive motorways in the world. and many months ahead of time. (PPP) scheme” by making the first four weeks “I am immensely proud of EastLink and what of operation toll-free. has been achieved. “EastLink is the largest ever single addition to the Melbourne transport network and its The A$2.5 billion EastLink route links “This road is revolutionising the lives of people early opening will provide time, fuel and Mitcham and Frankston in the city’s east, living and working in Melbourne’s eastern vehicle efficiency savings for Victorians,” and features 17 interchanges, 6km of toll-free and south-eastern suburbs by providing Mr Brumby said. bypasses, 88 bridges, a 35km shared use path a high-quality uninterrupted north-south and twin 1.6km three-lane tunnels. transport corridor from Mitcham to Frankston. It opened to the public the following day when ConnectEast, the owner and operator ConnectEast’s managing director, “With the cheapest car tolls of any private John Gardiner, said the opening of EastLink tollroad in Australia, motorists now have (and the untolled ) a new, affordable travel option: one that five months early demonstrates the capacity allows them to bypass congestion and many of the private sector to accelerate the delivery dozens of lights on local roads. of massive projects. “EastLink is already carrying a volume of traffic He said ConnectEast is proud of the high that makes it one of the busiest , quality finish and urban design of the motorway. carrying higher average daily traffic than any tolled motorway in Sydney or . “EastLink means safer driving, plus time and fuel savings every day for many thousands “Importantly, it is generating an economic of Victorians,” he said. boom in Melbourne’s outer east and south-east, with businesses relocating to make the most The chairman of ConnectEast, Tony Shepherd, of the motorway.” has been responsible for delivering many of Australia’s landmark projects, including

05 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 06 EASTLINK OVERVIEW No 6 The decorated vent stack for the tunnel becomes a local icon in its own right

AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST ROAD PROJECT TO DATE IS A WORK OF ART IN EVERY WAY

If there had been a road building event in Melbourne is the second largest city in But most of all, pride in the road is growing the Beijing Olympics the new EastLink toll Australia with a population of 3.6 million. steadily in the communities alongside it, road project in Melbourne, Australia would which after some initial concern have been have been pushing for a medal. Pride in the achievement runs across the board: largely won over, not just by the new amenity in the State Government team that planned, the road provides in ease, convenience and In every way the project, a 39km long urban commissioned and supervised the project travel time saving, but by the way it has been motorway, has set new standards in design, strategically; in the Concessionaire that implemented. construction speed, safety, environmental procured it and is now running it; among impact, and community enhancement. the operation and maintenance crews now Enthusiastic commentary on the road settling into their roles for the coming years; is forthcoming from residents and users At a construction cost of A$2.5 billion, it is also and throughout the construction crews, already, including spontaneous plaudits the biggest project of its type completed designers and engineers that built it in from the taxi drivers taking this report’s to date in Australia. At around 13 cents record time. author around. a kilometre it has the lowest tolls for any private in Australia, collected by “It is the kind of project you will take your Community anticipation for EastLink’s a state-of-the-art electronic system that family or friends to see, and then say opening was evident when around 150,000 keeps the traffic free flowing at all times. ‘I was a part of building that’,” said one people turned up for the road’s celebratory member of the construction contractor’s open day. The road is environmentally sensitive and team, Thiess John Holland (TJH). economically significant, reducing congestion on the eastern side of a rapidly growing city.

07 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 08 Fast Facts on EastLink

• Australia’s largest urban • Connects the Eastern • A$2.5 billion construction • Over 13,000 noise wall • A$20 million to enhance • Local creeks and waterways road project when under Freeway in Melbourne’s cost panels four rail stations reinvigorated construction outer east to the in the EastLink corridor • Three lanes in each • 1,000km of electrical • Estimated A$15 billion • Melbourne’s second, in the south-east direction for 33km, cabling • A$5.5 million for public boost to Victoria’s gross fully electronic, free-flow two lanes in each artwork: the largest state product • More than A$50 million toll road • It is 39km long direction for 6km commitment to art spent on landscaping with 17 interchanges, on an Australian road • Expected to create 6,500 • Lowest tolls for cars per 88 bridges and another • 7 million cubic metres with approximately ongoing jobs kilometre for any private 6km of untolled connecting of earthworks 3.6 million native trees • Around 60 wetlands toll road in Australia and shrubs planted to treat water run-off, roads • More than 1.1 million improve local waterways • Full interoperability tonnes of asphalt • 35km of new bicycle • Twin, three-lane, 1.6km and create habitat with all other electronic and walking tracks tunnels under the Mullum for wildlife Australian toll roads • 380,000 cubic metres Mullum Valley of

New Factories pedestrian path, the EastLink It is in a plain, mostly flat, urban interest and stimulation The road could almost be that pays more attention than most in the centre of Melbourne, central France. But these are Trail, for much of the motorway’s context. As a result, it has been along the EastLink Trail, described as an artwork in itself. to the installation of noise wall to achieve something new exceptional, and anyway Local industry has been especially length. The trail extends an conceived and executed from the three metre-wide bicycle Certainly, when formulating protection and use of design. and different, setting an example “in most places you would get pleased at time and cost savings important network of such shared the start with its appearance and pedestrian path winding the ideas for it, the architects that will draw attention from the slope at the side of the road realised on deliveries and use paths all around Melbourne. and aesthetic impact in mind. more or less along the same had in mind the giant landscape Other freeways built in the city around the world. left as it is, and the cuttings distribution from the first weeks route as the motorway, sculptures of artists such as have contoured panels landscaped and retaining walls would be of its operation. Environmentally, the road Architectural design and land but taking advantage of Robert Smithson, who makes into the surroundings, Mathers’ opposite number John quite plain,” says Gardiner. preserves a highly significant form shaping are used, not just the wetlands, park space pieces such as the Spiral Jetty and distinctive forms and shapes Gardiner, managing director Numerous new factories bushland area, the Mullum to ameliorate hard engineering and the preserved bushland. [a 500 metre long earthworks for major structures, not least at Concessionaire ConnectEast, That aesthetics and appearance and warehouses sprang up Mullum Valley, by tunnelling impacts but as an integral element in Idaho, USA, made from mud, the twin pillars of the Bolte and the company that owns and have been at the forefront while along the road’s route during beneath it. of the structure, both in the But even without these overt art salt crystals, basalt rocks, earth, Bridge over the , operates the road, is in no doubt attention is still paid to hard construction, a sign of its concept and the detailed work pieces, the road uses its noise and water], or others who the last major river bridge that it will be internationally commercial realities is a more perceived value for the future, Degraded waterways and creeks during construction. walls, retaining wall panels, wrap natural features in fabric to be constructed in Melbourne. significant. intangible but equally important and more have followed. have been cleaned up, re-vegetated cutting faces, bridges, tunnel on a grand scale. outcome of the project. and restored. New parkland has Millions of seedlings and shrubs, portals and other structures From his own travelling Part of the positive reception been built for communities along carefully selected to fit in with to turn its full length into Wood Marsh is not in any way ‘Another Level’ and extensive road experience Mathers argues that precisely is because the road has come the route and for the EastLink the local ecology, have been a constantly changing but pretentious, and the practice he thinks few countries in the because it is a PPP with access with a range of enhancements. Trail. planted and nurtured along harmonised roadscape of colours underlines emphatically that EastLink “takes things to another world, or other states in Australia to commercial funding, it has the route to soften the harder and tones that is not just pleasant EastLink is still “just a road,” level” in the words of Ken Mathers, for that matter, do anything been possible to add extras As well as the main motorway, There are even underpasses that forms and complement colours but eye-catching, or as with a very practical purpose who directed the project like as much to make their roads and features to the road that there are new bypasses for two can provide for native wildlife as they grow to maturity. the EastLink architectural firm to which the architecture is for the Victorian Government, special. may otherwise have provided of the major commercial hubs such as the duck-billed platypus. Wood Marsh puts it: “engaging subservient. the ultimate client. It was a “plain vanilla” outcome. along the route, Ringwood and Four specially commissioned and diverting.” deliberately so. Perhaps Austria and France Dandenong, with major junctions But first of all EastLink is an huge art pieces, fitting the scale But without flying into hyperbole, pay attention to the appearance But things could also have into EastLink, both toll-free. exceptionally functional and of a freeway, sit at points It is intended to be “an experience, the outcome is still spectacular. From the beginning it was built of bridges he says, referring gone another way. After all, good looking road, interesting, alongside the road to be observed rather than just a routine car on the experiences of past to the approach roads to the the Concessionaire is there Four rail stations have been colourful and different. from moving cars and trucks. ride,” says Roger Wood, the lead It is way beyond conventional road construction, including Channel Tunnel (between England to make money, and providers upgraded as part of an overall This is not because it crosses architect . It should be. provision. Melbourne already the Eastern Freeway and and France) and particularly are under constant pressure public transport commitment, any spectacular natural terrain, Another eight pieces, has a tradition of road design the successful CityLink toll road the dramatic Millau Viaduct in to minimise costs. and there is a new cycling and just the opposite. somewhat smaller, provide

09 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE EASTLINK OVERVIEW 10 EASTLINK OVERVIEW No 7 Curving ramps on the Monash Interchange

It is the achievement of the Victorian “We insisted on the quality Mathers emphasises that these partly what drew out some Government that it established of the urban design alongside “extras” come on top of the of the extras.” Southern & Eastern Integrated the technical qualifications for already high standard of design Transport Authority (SEITA), the tolling system, the quality and environmental enhancement His general manager for a special government authority, of the engineering and the need for the road, and despite a toll engineering on the project, with an experienced board for public amenity ,” says Terrence level which is less than any other Geoff Rayner, also makes and management team to initiate Francis, chairman of SEITA. privately owned motorway the point. and guide through the EastLink “The result has been new standards in Australia. They were drawn project. It is also an achievement in safety, road quality, urban out by the flexibility and “Urban design quality was on the part of the Concessionaire design, customer services open-endedness of the bid embedded in the selection that it was able to contain its costs and value for users.” procedure (see Bid, competition process for the concession. and yet incorporate so many and oversight) which was It is something we learned innovative features. The end-product is special, descriptive, rather than from the experiences on different and innovative, prescriptive, setting the aims CityLink before it,” he says. By emphasising the importance but there are also the additional and ambitions of the Government of quality design from the outset, sections of road included at only the most strategic level. “It was crucial that there be running a vigorous competitive as bicycle paths, parks input from the architectural side bid process to achieve the best and environmental clean-ups “For example, tolls were not right from the beginning possible offers and by keeping for wetlands and degraded specified, nor the concession and throughout with a role in a firm grip on the promises urban creeks. period - competition would signing off the design packages. and commitments made by drive the lowest tolls but we did It was not up for argument.” the bidding parties pitching for “There is an additional 6km require that increases be limited the project (and indirectly beyond of road for the scheme in two to the annual consumer price All this is the more surprising that by the contractor building it) bypass roads for important local index,” says Mathers. It had to be in the light of the extremely fast an outstanding outcome resulted. districts in the area. These are free flowing electronic tolling delivery of EastLink. An already toll-free including a link on as well as have interoperability tight programme of four years The Government, which will the main motorway itself,” with CityLink and other roads. was cut by five months by the take ownership of the road, says Gardiner. The bid included contractor, joint venture Thiess has not only succeeded in getting around A$100 million additional The aim was to draw as much John Holland, under a design a transport facility that it would spending for that. innovation as possible from and construction contract pushed not otherwise have had (at least the bidders themselves through on a very aggressive for some years yet) but has won and it seems to have worked, schedule. a series of extras and additions. Extra Environmental Work Mathers points out. The speed and size of the Both parties pitching for the Another A$20 million went on “We also insisted as part programme would have been project during an intensive the rail station refits and more of the bid process that impressive anywhere in tender and bid process, offered than A$5 million on the sculptures the contenders had to engage the world and for Australia other features to the road over and artworks. There is a little with the communities and local it was record-breaking. and above the basic bid they more for extra environmental councils along the road were preparing. work. and explore their wishes TJH project director Gordon and needs in detail. That is Ralph proudly points to the fact

11 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 12 EASTLINK OVERVIEW No 8 No 9 No’s 10, 11, 12 Pleated balustrade Cuttings on the tunnel Greens reflecting panels and perforated approach are deliberately the countryside, metal cladding left to reveal the colours browns from the earth give a clean line of the ground - part and bold contrasting to overbridges built of the overall design black and white with top down columns philosophy for structures are all part of the architect’s “colour palette”

10 11 12

8

9

that on six occasions, the contractor was have been achieved”. By incorporating is more than 39km of urban motorway, carrying out more than A$100 million lessons from past construction projects, filling in a critical gap in the network for the of production per month, unprecedented refining the specification process to allow growing and wide flung Melbourne metropolis. in the country, and deemed by many to be flexibility and creativity, while keeping unachievable. a grip on the project, including constant open It is now also a feature of the landscape interaction with all the parties involved, and part of the fabric of the area with its own Not only was it done to the benefit of the client the process could deliver something special. distinctive landmarks, character and impact and the users now driving on it, but it was on daily life, of which it will increasingly done well, safely and with full attention Mathers’ view is borne out. The attitudes become a part of. to the environment. The quality is everything of the public, and especially the major user the Government wanted. base of EastLink on the eastern side of the “The design and amenity of this road is city, steadily changed as construction work sensational stuff,” said Mathers, a few Least tangible of all the project achievements, proceeded, both as measured formally months before the traffic started running. but equally as important, is the turnaround by surveys and as reflected in the media “I think no other road will compare with in community opinion. Initially there was and other expressions of public views. this and that the public will be absolutely some concern about the project being delivered delighted.” It looks as if he is right. as a tolled road under a PPP arrangement. The road is now not only accepted but welcomed. But for Mathers there was no choice. The public, aided by a major communications “The PPP delivery enabled EastLink to be effort by the community relations teams in completed much earlier and with greater SEITA, ConnectEast and TJH, have decided community benefit than could otherwise they like what has been delivered. That result

0513 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 0614 EASTLINK PROFILE The initial plans

Congestion on the major This highway became known aroused, saying: “It was a very north-south roads in Melbourne’s as the Scoresby Freeway before sensitive area.” outer eastern area, and the need it was renamed the Mitcham for major works to alleviate Frankston Freeway, evolving The Government decided on the problem were already into EastLink. a tunnel option but this proved apparent in the late 1980s, far too expensive when put out when the eastern areas began At the same time, plans were to tender. growing fast, says SEITA’s in train to extend the existing Bruno Aleksic, the engineering Eastern Freeway as far as Ken Mathers, SEITA chief executive and operations manager Ringwood and Mitcham officer, takes up the story. for the Scoresby section to meet the proposed Scoresby of EastLink (the section south Freeway. The Eastern Freeway “In 2002 the Government of the tunnels). extension passed through one decided to combine the Eastern of the few remaining areas Freeway Extension and Scoresby Aleksic, previously with of undisturbed natural bushland Freeway projects. Ken Mathers is a civil engineer and chief Bypasses in 1992. The projects eventually engineering and operations. He looked after the State Government’s road in eastern Melbourne, the Mullum executive officer of Southern and Eastern became CityLink, Melbourne’s first major development of documentation and bid agency VicRoads, was involved Mullum Valley. The project was subsequently Integrated Transport Authority (SEITA). toll road and one of the State’s most complex assessment, and then moved on to overviewing in a government study in the named EastLink, and a special He has devoted most of his career to Victorian pieces of civil engineering. Major tunnelling design and construction: altogether five years late 1990s which concluded Les Bull, SEITA’s director of body known as SEITA Government roads agencies, having several and construction was carried out through of intensive involvement. that there was a demand engineering on the northern (the Southern & Eastern significant projects under his belt including rural a busy city and a highly complex tolling system for a north-south highway half of EastLink, was at VicRoads Integrated Transport Authority) highways and major freeways in Melbourne. was developed and installed. On completion of CityLink he worked to the east of the city. at the time and recalls was appointed to oversee the as a consultant for several years before the controversy the plans delivery of the 39km motorway.” After delivering the first stage of Melbourne’s When the State Government created a special his appointment to SEITA in early 2003. Western Ring Road, he joined the project purpose organisation to oversee the CityLink planning team for the Western and Southern project in 1995 he joined it as director of

No 13 Over 60 wetland spaces have been created or improved along the route providing community and ecological facilities

15 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 16 EASTLINK PROFILE Local community welcomes EastLink

Motorists are the major beneficiaries of EastLink’s construction, but Melbourne’s cyclists and property owners are realising the benefits too

After travelling widely wanted, located in the inner Matt and Ingrid also realised “The volume of traffic, and living in cities all around suburbs, just wasn’t financially that property prices further particularly the trucks, the world, 33-year old Matt viable as their first home. out would be enhanced in our neighbourhood has Shakespeare and his partner by EastLink, so their decision declined substantially: Ingrid Andrich decided Matt takes up the story. was made. the value of the property in 2005 to settle down “This was just as construction we bought has skyrocketed and live in Melbourne. was starting on EastLink. “As it’s turned out, our decision and we’ve got a great new They had become enamoured When we saw what was has been vindicated. We might cycle trail.” with the bustle of life in London proposed, we realised it would be 25km out of the city, but we John Gardiner is managing director of to study engineering, he says, heading him the English beer, he says. But the sunshine and sought a similar lifestyle be quite feasible to live much can get in there in no time,” Matt now cycles to work three EastLink Concessionaire, ConnectEast. off from an early aspiration to be an architect and warmth of Australia called him back in in Melbourne. further out, near EastLink, says Matt. or four days each week He has had a varied background in consultancy, because, he jokes, “that was too much like 1969, and after building design experience to buy the sort of home we and is a key member of the construction and management that has given hard work”. in various consultancies, he established his It took them little time to realise really wanted and have quick Matt and Ingrid are now seeing local Ride2School network him the experience and knowledge to gain own consulting practice. That organisation that the sort of home they access to the city and to the a number of other benefits which encourages students his present position. A degree at Newcastle (then part of New became Gardiner Willis & Associates and lifestyle that accompanies it.” of EastLink. to cycle to and from school. South Wales University) was followed by an grew to provide a broad range of services in Born in and still living early venture into business with his brother engineering design, project and construction close to Sydney with his wife and family, setting up a precast concrete factory near management. he commutes to Melbourne for the task, Maitland in NSW. firstly seeing through the construction of The consultant had been the first in Australia the road and now the operation of EastLink. To gain further experience, and perhaps to qualify under ISO 900 quality assurance to see the world, he spent three years (QA), and found it was able to advise others He was born into a construction orientated in the UK working at precaster Dowmac: on how to tackle QA. A small unit built up, family: his father and two brothers are all “a pretty amazing experience”, then moving which in 1994 became a stand-alone consultant building contractors. They persuaded him into London in design roles. He even enjoyed as Gardiner TQM, specialising in management systems and later in risk management and business management for clients like Southern Sydney Area Health Service, the Australian Army and Ausaid with offices in Sydney and also Jakarta.

“Luckily I got out just before the currency collapsed in 1997,” he says. He was recruited, in fact, to operate and upgrade a toll road in Sydney, the M5 South West, owned by Interlink Roads.

It was a total change, he says, but suited him well. He made known his interest in EastLink in 2004 and after a “fairly long” recruitment process became chief executive officer No 14 in March 2005 as construction was already The pedestrian and bicycle getting underway. A year later he became trail along the route has many additional bridges a director. and structures of its own

17 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 18 No 15 No 16 DESCRIPTION AND FUNCTION OF THE ROAD Five pedestrian bridges Asphalting was a highly each have their own coordinated largescale colour and provide logistics exercise in local landmark features its own right during on the road construction

THE NEW HIGHWAY IS PROVING 15 A POPULAR PLACE TO SET UP BUSINESS

16

EastLink bisects some industrial areas, Moving north, EastLink interchanges crossing wide regions still primarily devoted with the , which carries to agriculture, and passes through areas up to 150,000 vehicles a day into Melbourne, of natural bushland interspersed with while much of the last section of road parklands, small streams and creeks. at the Mullum Mullum Valley is in a 1.6km long twin tunnel, leaving the wilderness It intersects with growth corridors radiating of the valley above untouched. out from Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD) to the east. According to a recent report produced for ConnectEast by KPMG, much of the city’s Constructing north to south connections new development takes place in the mid-range between the radiating corridors has been suburbs, and these areas have grown to the difficult, and this is one reason why EastLink west and east of the city. is so important, and will become much more so. There are north-south roads, including Demand is likely to increase because Australia’s Stud Road and Springvale Road either side population is increasing, and has been doing Such general growth along the new corridor of EastLink, the latter alone carrying 66,000 so in recent years as the country has opened will be enhanced by the opportunities the vehicles per day (prior to the construction up again to immigration from around new road opens up. By significantly cutting of EastLink). But both roads were becoming the world. journey times in the north to south direction, increasingly heavily congested and like all the road will have a major impact on jobs city roads, punctuated by frequent junctions “Melbourne is growing at record rates. and industrial output along the corridor. and traffic lights. Data released in March 2008 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirms that the city Companies in the Dandenong area report Throughout its route, EastLink passes added 62,000 residents to its population base that their catchment for attracting employees through some of the busiest and fastest in the 12 months to June 2007,” documents has almost doubled and the reverse holds true growing areas of the city. the KPMG report. for residents who can now look further afield for opportunities. Frankston, a recreational seaside Only on a few previous occasions has the city No 3 Lorem ipsum dolor development, is located at the southern grown at this rate, and its growth is faster situs amet consectetuer end with a dual two-lane configuration than that of the more populous city of Sydney adipiscing etelit. dolor reflecting lesser demand than further on although perhaps not faster than in the situs amet consectetuer where it widens to dual three-lane highway. south-east corner of the state of . adipiscing etelit. Nulla feugiat No 4

19 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 20 No 17 BID, COMPETITION AND OVERSIGHT From day one the local cyclists have been making good use of the new EastLink trail along the road route CONSIDERABLE TIME WAS SPENT DEVISING PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS SHOWING WHAT WAS NEEDED. THE SPECIFICATIONS DID NOT SAY HOW IT SHOULD BE ACHIEVED

Ask SEITA chief executive Ken Mathers of the bidder. The Concessionaire had to bear and queries on a large range of issues. what has given EastLink its edge and he will the risks of future development: no deals The process finished in October 2004 tell you it is competition, drawing the best out were open for guaranteeing traffic levels when the award was made. of the private sector to add extra amenities by limiting the Government’s other options. and higher standards to what would otherwise If the State decides to build a new railway “Both sides were told to have their senior The EastLink Trail be a fairly plain motorway. alongside it, or even a new highway, people ready on a certain morning and were the Concessionaire has no basis to complain. driven to a location. One side was shown Considerable time was spent devising into a room and were told that they had won. Cometh the road, cometh the path. A pedestrian/cyclist route follows EastLink performance specifications that would make These requirements were partly influenced The other left empty-handed, as is the case in it clear what was needed without saying how from past experience in Australia, including these very large transactions,” says Mathers. Winding along much of the For Neil Hordern, the landscape Trail, The final choice, steering it should be achieved. CityLink. roads length is a so-called coordinator with contractor and the . clear of the creek itself, But that was not the end of it. Translating shared use path, a late addition TJH, the path is a fine is an “engineered” path Les Bull, who worked on these specifications, the offers into an excellent actual product to the project bid, and an recreational and leisure “Melbourne is a brilliant that uses natural timber says the document was a fraction of the size Competition Was Vital was still to come. That was the responsibility important extra facility. facility, providing a useful city for this,” says Hordern, bridges and timber boardwalk of a normal specification, yet clearly spelt out of the new Concessionaire ConnectEast, counterpoint to the nearby because it is relatively flat flooring in places rather the state’s requirements. Another lesson from that decision was which quickly moved to let a design The three metre-wide concrete road, for fitness and health, and well laid out. than concrete, and doing its to continue the bidding competition and construct contract to TJH. pathway caters for pedestrians and natural environment. best to harmonise with the What it did was to set targets such as a 100-year right through to the end until the project and cyclists, giving an additional Increasingly, city workers The finest point of the path surroundings, while offering life for the structures. For example, the road was awarded. To monitor that, however, SEITA specified recreational and transport link are using the bicycle is the journey through a broad clean route through had to fall within a certain route envelope but a tight framework of check-offs and oversight. in EastLink. for commuting. the Mullum Mullum Valley, the valley. the exact alignment was variable; the shape But keeping competition going would have allowing walkers, runners of the interchanges was open to variation, been pointless if there was only one contender. Like most modern contracts, both design The path fits into the landscaping The path is safe and surprisingly and cyclists to enjoy the natural “The line was modified to avoid and the pavement had to perform to a certain and construction were self-monitored and noise wall environment quiet for the users in many bushland environment and having to do too much cutting standard yet its make-up was not prescribed. (already running CityLink) by Quality Assurance (QA) procedures of the road, dipping behind parts, and it will give them the creek running through it. or formation of steep slopes,” was an obvious contender. And then TJH and checks as work progressed. But SEITA noise panels where it can, access to the ‘green corridor’ says Carbery. Urban design had to be part of the mix (Thiess John Holland) and investment bank required these to be subject to oversight or riding up over batters the road landscaping has Extensive consultation was and the bids had to show that they reflected Macquarie Bank put themselves forward and auditing by a variety of checking and embankments, and then created. carried out with local residents For the really keen the EastLink the community expectations along the route. as ConnectEast. The bidding that followed consultants and overseers. down into newly created on just how it should be Trail and the connections was one of the most extensive ever seen parks and around wetlands Victoria has been at the routed, and a selection on it makes now provide The specifications for operations were equally for both teams with each having more than At the top of the tree was the Independent and ponds alongside the main forefront of Australia’s the route made from three the chance to cycle virtually open ended. The tolling system had to be fully 1,000 staff and consultants. Both were kept Reviewer (IR), a small team of consultants highway. “quiet revolution” trend possible options. Jenny Carbery, around the whole metropolis, electronic and it had to be interoperable with entirely separate by the Government. led by Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) with towards safe and pleasant senior project engineer with an unusual outcome from other electronic , Maunsell and Davis Langdon. Its job was A number of specially designed cycling routes. Other popular SEITA took residents around a road project. but toll levels and products were not specified. Formulating the bids took a year of submissions to satisfy itself that the various detailed coloured bridges form part trails in Melbourne include the valley to point out where Even the concession period was variable, and revisions, as SEITA looked through checks and monitoring processes were of the path line. the , the path would be constructed. being open for offer according to the discretion proposals and came back with questions carried out correctly. ,

21 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 22 BID, COMPETITION AND OVERSIGHT

The IR did not specifically check and control Designs then passed to another consultant, as for the two client bodies) had been former work itself (though it would make regular the Proof Engineer & Construction Verifier colleagues at the Government agency visits to the site) but had to be responsible (PECV), which on EastLink was a SMEC/KBR VicRoads. There was a common understanding for stating that the work met the required joint venture. This body checked the compliance of how to work together, he says. standards and that the hierarchy and fitness of the designs to the requirements of procedures beneath was working. of the concession deed. Rob Devlin, the contractor’s design manager, says that an electronic document tracking This is different to the role of a traditional “From there the designs passed to various system helped enormously too. TJH used engineer, explains Peter Balfe, the consultant review parties as appropriate,” says Graham a system called InCite, which was developed who led the team and, like many involved Gilpin, ConnectEast general manager in Germany and is now available through in the project, a former VicRoads employee. construction and also an ex-VicRoads Leighton Holdings. Despite early glitches employee. These included his small team it proved invaluable in handling hundreds “It is not a checking of minutia but a general and SEITA. Each could add comments of design packages through up to four cycles oversight,” he says. or object to elements if they felt the designs of commentary and approval, says Devlin. did not match specified requirements. The importance of the IR is that it ultimately The PECV was employed by the contractor signs off the project, and without its One important element in this process, and the Concessionaire, and was in turn 18 certification tolling could not commence. says Gilpin, was that the designs were also monitored and checked by the IR, which passed through to the future operations and audited its systems and did spot checks. “It is a powerful sanction,” declares Ken maintenance contractor, Transfield Services, Mathers at SEITA, and a part of a completely which could highlight issues that might affect Construction itself was subject to a QA 19 independent oversight for the project and its the operations. process by the contractor, which was standards. responsible for auditing and guaranteeing Paying attention to such detail is rarely done its own systems according to normal QA The IR is employed jointly by the Government in road design and construction contracts practice. Site work was also monitored and Concessionaire ConnectEast, and reports but it can mean big savings and safety and checked by the PECV. jointly to the two, ensuring impartiality improvements for future operations. between the two client sides in the equation. The tweaks needed in the design could often “The IR had a responsibility for general No input comes from the contractor, be done without any additional cost or effort overview and reasonable checking of all which further ensures objectivity, says Balfe. on the construction, says Gilpin. aspects of the contractor’s work and also for auditing the performance of the PECV,” It is an important consideration. Elsewhere This cycle was repeated between the initial says Gilpin. “So the IR did audits on the in Australia a similar role has been played design outlines and the final design, contractor’s system from time to time, by the Independent Verifier (IV) but this role with the opportunity to mark up comments and it also did audits of the PECV to see is somewhat different since the IV certifying at both stages. that it was undertaking its proper role.” body is employed jointly by the Concessionaire and the contractor, changing the balance According to Balfe, the IR also made its of the relationships. Working Arrangement own site visits to ensure the contractor was meeting requirements. A key example Beneath the IR was a structure of both design Although there was a danger that the process was the soil nailing system. There were some and construction checks. could become excessive it did settle down discussions about the long term durability into a working arrangement which Gilpin of the steel anchors grouted into the ground. In the design process the engineering considered was important and useful. The IR insisted on a demonstration that consultants working for the contractor The various parties involved had tight limits the grout injection method for the nails would (Parsons Brinkerhoff Hyder Joint Venture set for making their comments so that the properly surround each in the ground to protect and CWDC) had to have their designs contractor was not unduly held up waiting them. Installed nails were dug up and examined independently checked. for responses. to ensure the process was good.

No 18 No 19 Balfe says: “Notionally this is done by another According to SEITA’s Les Bull, making this The result of this cycle of checks and balances EastLink construction The construction effort consultant but both the main design firms work was a matter of judgement and establishing is the road itself, and the achievement of high included a major tunnel needed for the project used other offices from their own firms good relationships and flexibility, a process standards throughout. project underneath the was the largest to do the checking.” This was allowable helped because many of those working Mullum Mullum Valley in Australia providing there was a ‘Chinese Wall’ on the project (for the contractor as much between the two offices of the consultant.

0523 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 24 URBAN DESIGN No 20 Curved lines on URBAN DESIGN AND APPEARANCE EastLink Operations Centre WEIGHED HEAVY IN THE EASTLINK SCALES ALONGSIDE TOLL LEVELS, TECHNOLOGY AND CIVIL ENGINEERING. BIDDERS WERE LEFT IN NO DOUBT ABOUT THIS

along the road is integrated Behind this stand-out design with the noise wall provision, for the road is the architectural and both work with plantings partnership of Wood Marsh, and vegetation to merge the various which has a reputation for design features, an aspect that strong and unusual designs will become more obvious as time over a 25-year period, primarily passes and plants grow. in Victoria, although it has an international profile. In other places, sudden startling bursts of bright colour stand out. It had already worked on Sometimes these are the noise large-scale urban designs wall panelling, and particularly for noise walls on the city’s a fairly strong orange colour for award winning Eastern some of the transparent acrylic Freeway, and the two partners, panels. There are five deliberately Roger Wood and Randal Marsh, bold footbridges in five different were obvious contenders bright pastel colours, although for EastLink. each is the same shape with a tall extended signature pier on one Together with landscape side. These are intended as consultant Tract Consultants, landmark points to be noticed also involved on the Eastern and referenced: perhaps Freeway, they have been closely Few roads anywhere have taken However, EastLink does not lack by giving directions to people involved with the design and its the concept of urban design variety or interest: far from it. or punctuating a journey. implementation for EastLink, to the level seen on EastLink. There is a constantly changing starting with the initial concept From the beginning there was roadscape of different colours, for the appearance of the road. an insistence by client SEITA that shapes and perspectives, formed Biggest And Boldest it wanted to see a major emphasis by a range of colours and shapes “We wanted a geographical on urban design quality. for barriers and concrete retaining The biggest and boldest shape character to be quite specific wall facings, and sometimes by of all is the EastLink Operations for EastLink, of the highest order The outcome is a coherent, deliberately left natural cuttings and Control Centre (ELOC), in design sense, and something unusual and striking appearance walls or painted cuttings a startling curved two-level, that made the road an experience for the road. For its entire length, to simulate the same. serrated-edge flat-roof building rather than an engineering the tunnels, bridges, cuttings, in a light and dark green result. It is a journey worth retaining walls, noise protection In places, transparent panelling chequered pattern, which projects having,” says Roger Wood. barriers and even the signal in shades of green or orange give out over the motorway it controls and toll gantries, have an integrated perspectives onto roadside views on top of high coloured retaining As a design challenge, the road and consistent feel and appearance: of bushland or wetland ponds walls. It has impact. But it also is exceptionally large scale: big harmonised all the way, or the panelling itself merges holds together in a way never enough to be seen from the air. and with the surroundings at any into them. Landscaping of noise seen on a road before. particular point. -deflecting mounds and slopes

25 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 26 No 21 No 22 URBAN DESIGN Facing panels for A special charcoal colour reinforced earth was used in many of cuttings were designed the noise wall panels, to echo the colours which were among of the ground thousands of precast elements produced for the road at a dedicated factory

The well-known land sculptures nailing) to strengthen along the route and the changing using a contoured precast panel such as those of Robert Smithson the ground, which is faced time and seasons. made with white cement for or Kristo have appeal at this scale with vertical panels of concrete. all of them: steel tubular barriers and it was worth translating “Unlike other built elements along those are a solid black colour. those kinds of ideas into the road Three shades of brown and reddish within EastLink, the landscape design. brown reflect the colours of the will constantly change, growing “The same is done for all the sandstones and siltstones of the and maturing over time. It will exposed steel work on bridges “That is not to say the road is an ground and the faces of the cuttings provide a changing backdrop and structures, and occasionally artwork, but it should incorporate made through them. and setting for the architectural some of the concrete cross the design feel in its structure elements as it matures,” heads,” says Wood. Toll gantries and avoid the idea of ‘decorating’ “We want a direct connection says Lim. and sign board supports are also structures and surfaces. At this with the ground you move over,” done in black, and the result scale what you need is a relatively says Roger Wood. Time and weathering effects are on the finished traffic road simple suite of elements,” also foreseen for some of the rock is a strong, clean feel. Achieving says Wood. cuttings. this effect has sometimes been 21 ‘Jungle Ruins’ Effect a battle, and the architect A “consistent palette of colours” “Where the rock has been cut, had to be particularly insistent is deliberately contained with Noise panels (in the way they and stands on its own because on the black finish for the steel white, black and a dark charcoal are patterned and assembled) it is strong enough, we have work. Indeed, the work 22 grey colour featuring strongly. have a fractured look, and this insisted that it be left with the to achieve the desired finishes One of several noise wall types, is intended to work better as they natural strata pattern showing,” was considerable. for example, uses textured age and when natural road dirt says Wood. square panels in charcoal and rain wash drips down This was highly appreciated concrete arranged in a random the panels and streaks them. “If not then we have had by the engineering design team pattern. Other panels are off-white, it shotcreted, and have then at the contractor TJH, which found overlapping curves with a rock “The idea is to have the effect painted the surface to simulate the relatively new experience texture. of jungle ruins for some of the the same effect. We were a little of working closely with an urban panels, as the vegetation grows uncertain about that but the designer less irksome than it But there are also brighter colours, around them and they are partly painting has been very good might have been. drawn from the environment obscured,” says Wood. There is and again the colours will of the road and its bushland, no point trying to retain, nor do weather down.” According to Ian Bryant, with three shades of green for the partners want to retain, engineering manager on transparent panels and an orange a highly finished “architectural” Elsewhere, however, the natural the southern half of the project, which is found on the bark look on many of the noise walls look was changed. One technique a good working relationship of some eucalyptus species. and panels. for building bridges is the top-down was established despite old method where large piles are traditions among some civil Green also features inside The landscape design is carefully drilled vertically from the surface engineers that “architects just the tunnels for the vertical tailored to work with these and then filled with concrete get in the way” with “fancy ideas”. panelling alongside the road, elements, adds Dieter Lim, before the earth is dug from again a relatively unusual director at Tract. around them. Columns formed “And the Government made sure feature. Multiple colours appear this way have a rough concrete that the urban design was locked on the ventilation stacks where “It tells the stories of the look, and for these a colander- in effectively,” says Bryant. there is decoration, using plant communities, both natural like lozenge pattern steel and environmental motifs. and urban, through which cladding was used to improve The precise positions, heights Other colours match the geology the road travels, capturing the appearance. and types of barriers, noise wall of the rocks. the stories in hills and valleys, panels, facings and so on, were the creeks and streams, One of the most dominant, determined as the overall design Retaining walls are used and the original inhabitants.” but subtle, effects is the off-white evolved and the positions and frequently along the route and black finish for all the bridges. line of the road and its bridges (particularly where there The landscape work aims to The parapets are done with were pinned down. is a cutting with extensive soil reflect the agriculture and industry a pleated effect, achieved by

27 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 28 No 23 Acryllic sound panels were used where transparency was important to connect with the landscape. The orange, a colour from local tree bark, was used on the bridges

23

Community’s Wishes A requirement for a certain Shelley Penn, SEITA’s consultant The question of the basic black shape and size of noise panel and Associate Victorian and white background colouring The whole process had to pay was modified, for example, Government Architect, says that for superstructures was not attention to the community’s because it was proving very Wood Marsh’s huge amount changeable, for example, wishes and environmental difficult to cast in the precast of work helped deal with all these and buildability was not confused restrictions, accommodating works at the originally specified problems as the project proceeded. with reduced standards. as far as possible the desire for shapes and sizes. She was able to speak with the transparent panelling where, partners constantly, ringing up He says the partnership took for example, significant views Another issue was the requirement to discuss matters arising from an open approach, so that where could have been cut off. Decibel for the alignment of retaining the designs as she saw issues the contractor’s designers ran limits for potential traffic noise wall facing panels along the relating to the integrity and into a problem they could phone impact also had to be addressed. straight edges at the top. This is quality of the design concept. up “and we would go and sit These were determined by local not impossible, but it is difficult down and analyse the issue measurements and computer and time-consuming on site. But while the architect was and come up with a solution.” simulations. A new concept with an irregular accessible and “reasonable,” ‘crocodile’ back arrangement Roger Wood emphasises that “The feedback we are getting is Transparent panelling was not for the panel tops was found. this is very different from that people love driving the road. appropriate everywhere and in sacrificing the overall concept. It is a result that the partnership trying to juggle all the demands, “They look equally effective but is very proud of,” says Wood. the design team found the are much easier and quicker to “At no point was our work architect flexible and pragmatic install,” says John Dauth, TJH being reduced.” in working with it to deal with structures design engineer. awkward aspects of the design.

29 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 30 LANDSCAPING No 24 Robust local plant species have been chosen for aesthetic and practical reasons on embankments PLANTS AND WILDLIFE and reservations WERE ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION ALONG THE EASTLINK’S ROUTE

The symbolic moment when the suntanned in small tubes and are right for planting muckshift crews paused to let the young only at a certain size.” birds follow their mother across the worksite demonstrated how even the toughest Potting is not an option “because if they grow of construction crews would respond to much more they lose their viability once the road environment as it began to mature. in the ground: bigger plants tend not to take After all, the landscape is a key feature by as well and they require much more watering which EastLink will be judged. in,” says Hordern.

“How do people make up their minds They also cost four times as much for a poorer about the road? The tolls certainly, result. and the smoothness of the ride, but to a large extent also by the appearance,” says Neil For most of the plants on EastLink there was Hordern, the manager for landscape with only a three-month window, he says. contractor TJH, who worked with Lim to implement the design on the ground. “We once gave away 100,000 young trees to the local community groups because they When a burly excavator driver stopped his Normally on a project, concedes Hordern, had gone over. We thought they might at least machine and waited patiently for a row the planting and finishing work would green up the local neighbourhoods.” of small ducklings to walk across the path be done in such a way so as to keep out of his excavator bucket, the landscaping of the path of the big earthmoving operations The seasons too were critical for survivability. teams on EastLink finally realised they might and concreting. Essentially it follows on, Some rain at least was needed because be winning. with specialist horticulturists coming onto “you can’t irrigate two million square metres site relatively late in the project. of beds.” Autumn or spring was best, he says. Until then it had sometimes been difficult integrating the pressures of major muckshifting But so much work was needed for EastLink Ironically, however, one of the worst incidents schedules with the sensitive work of planting (its area of parkland and open space is one he faced was from a freak summer rainstorm and nurturing millions of seedlings and shoots. and half times the size of Central Park which washed down an embankment. in New York) that the planting crews had But eventually, despite a few choice epithets to work alongside the civil engineering. “I spent Christmas morning driving slowly colouring the air, it all came together. along the project looking at quarter of a million “We were planting over three million plants on the road surface.” Landscape design played a crucial part plants and seedlings, known as tubestock. on the project. It guided the shaping That is more than the number in Melbourne’s All this, of course, meant that procuring and reforming of the ground that has botanical gardens,” says Lim. supplies was a risk-fraught business. to be done for a road project, transforming the rawness of engineered cuttings Ground treatment, ground preparation Plant selection was central to the landscape and embankments into what landscape and planting are all time-consuming and started during conceptual design. consultant Dieter Lim describes as and so the work had to get on quickly. Species were selected from an array of plants “a narrative for the road, responding “Timing is everything with plants going which were mostly indigenous before the first to the natural rhythm of the landscape.” in like this. The seedlings are all grown settlements of the area.

31 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 32 No 25 The EastLink Trail runs through the pristine bushland of the Mullum Mullum valley, preserved by the tunnelling of the road beneath

No 26 Wildlife was already colonising the wetlands before the work was complete

No 27 Wetland spaces provide new recreational facilities, as well as important run-off areas for the road during rainstorms. A careful filtration system 25 26 is part of their structure

27

“These were an important starting point Planting choice also offered cultural cues Orders were placed with nurseries around The Wetlands Along the project there are around Most notable is an area about half-way along as they set the base line vegetation context such as the existing windbreaks of trees Melbourne, particularly on the west side 60 wetland areas derived this way, the project at Oakwood Park. Working in for the project,” says Lim. in the agricultural areas in the south. of the city, which has less rainfall, to harden In the wetlands, the row of young birds that and particularly along the conjunction with the local council, the area “These were represented within the landscape the plants off so that they could cope with drew out the tenderness in the otherwise and in the flood plain area at the Frankston was made into a nicely shaped recreation “You could describe them as a foundation design with the 30 metre high River Red the extreme growing conditions. “robust” muckshifters came from one end of the project. park with ponds, assorted boardwalks telling the story of the early land upon which Gum that was a predominant tree species of the many new ponds and marshes that line and rustic furniture. There is also a children’s the layers of change, agriculture, industry of the area,” adds Lim. The tree lives Meanwhile, on site, preparation was everything. many parts of the new road alignment. Carefully selected species of reeds and rushes playground. and urbanisation can be told.” Such stories to around 500 years. Vegetation on many civil engineering projects Ducks and other water birds have settled in, act as filters, trapping finer particles, and also layered over the road underpin the landscape falls down because the ground condition especially around the old creek beds and flood breaking down various pollutants and organics The landscapers used some of the timber design philosophy, he explains. Plant selection also paid attention to the need is unwelcoming. plain areas which have been realigned both in their root systems, and by the microbial from trees which had to be removed from for huge volumes of seeds. The challenge was and rehabilitated though all parts of the project. organisms that live on them. the alignment to make the furniture, so that The basic spectrum of species was then propagating hundreds of thousands of plants, “Major earthmoving leaves the ground devoid it was retained on EastLink. Other trees were modified to reflect the changes in geography large and small. Seed was collected from of oxygen and you don’t get root growth,” These wetland areas are required first Other types are “dry” biological remediation placed, as they are, including a number along the corridor. the wild by specialist licensed seed-takers says Hordern. and foremost all along the route for technical areas with water soak ways into sandy ground of “scar trees”, which are Australian aboriginal who knew where to find pockets of natural reasons: to provide storage and water which also contains micro-organisms, again artefacts, where trees have had the bark “EastLink travels from the foothills in the plants and how to leave enough in the natural The secret is ripping and turning over purification for the road run-off when treating the water. removed for signalling and communication. north down to the floodplains in the south, environment not to harm it. the ground thoroughly and that has probably it washes from the road surface during moving through creek and river valleys been done more effectively on EastLink than rain storms. All these wetlands and creek realignments The ponds have a major effect on animal with different plant communities along Drought was already a problem for this almost any project. The result was already “provide a valuable environmental asset with life too, and it was eye-opening to see how the corridor.” operation, and then there was a series clear at the time of opening with strong Some of these were formed early on to trap recreation potential, aesthetic possibilities quickly various species moved in to colonise of bush fires. growth and a majority take for the plants run-off from the construction activities, and habitats for bird and animal species,” the vegetation, says Hordern. Frogs, yabbies The choice was further modified (for practical on the embankments and slopes. with settling ponds to remove coarser says Lim. (small crayfish) and other animals appeared reasons) to select plants that were robust “Plants tend to suffer stress in drought sediments, and secondary ponds for and gradually the bird species too, helped, enough to handle the extreme and sometimes and throw out lots of seeds for survival. Mulching was another key to success, post-treatment with flocculating agents. “This is where the design team truly it is said, by placing some wooden duck hostile planting conditions of a roadway. Often the seeds are sterile: they throw out which on a project like this meant the kind Clear water went back into the creeks under collaborated, where the engineers designed decoys on the water to attract them. Steep batters, minimal topsoil, and even rock blanks. Sometimes only 5% or so will of wood chip mulch seen in parks and formal a regime of environmental care which has functional wetlands which were then embankments, are tough conditions even for germinate,” Hordern explains. gardens to suppress weeds and retain moisture. been a priority for the contractor. integrated through the landscape design “There are herons and black swans too indigenous plants. into the environment to create a seamless and even we hope birds of prey to come,” The landscape design used alternatives “We virtually stripped the local garden centre Permanent treatment for road run-off relies visual experience.” adds Neil Hordern. Plants were “weeded” out from the list of a similar structure, size and appearance of mulch,” he admits. In the end the project on similar principles of natural drainage and the more robust types underwent to cover for the nominated species in case acquired an American mulching plant which and filtering, using so-called Water Sensitive In places, full-scale features have been made It is enough to soften the heart of the hardest growing tests by local nurseries and ecologists, some species could not be propagated. could be fed with timber waste. Urban Design principles, says John Dauth. of the wetland ponds to enhance the local hard-hat. to spot “wimps”. areas and add interest to the EastLink Trail.

33 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 34 No 28 Land shaping and planting was integrated with the architectural features of the road, to bring the history of the landscape into the new road design

Environment, Flora and Fauna

EastLink is more than a road: creating a linear a number of creek conduits under “I have to say their management control ConnectEast has been cooperating with both Finally, but emphatically not least, own features and “for the expert eye a range parkland of 500 hectares, which is a total the carriageway and in one place a culvert and overall performance matched up: it was Parks Victoria, which manages some of these there is the Mullum Mullum Valley of particular species of plants and orchids.” space greater than the parkland in the relatively with ‘skylights,’ a grid-covered well from one of the best construction projects I have areas, and Melbourne Water, responsible for at the northern end of the project which green inner city of Melbourne. the surface, which allows light and air seen in Australia from this perspective.” the creeks. With the latter the Concessionaire is the biggest environmental contribution The valley’s value, ironically, lies precisely in movement into the space below. Even though has devised a clean-up programme for many the project has made. Its preservation its preservation on a designated corridor In the southern half of the project many the animals move at night they are cautious One feature of the wetlands was some of the off road creeks. is the rationale for the expense of the tunnel, for the road, because the State let it revert of the areas outside the road boundary about entering apparently enclosed spaces rare species of herbs, which were located and it will remain as one of the most important to near natural condition around the creek constitute farmland, and there are stretches and the openness of the skylight allows and transplanted to a protected area. “It came about from walking along the EastLink pristine bushland areas in Melbourne. running through it. Its retention now is of wetland and creek beds running alongside. them to pass. Trail from where it was noticeable how a prime example of the “law of unintended There are some other animals of importance degraded some of these creeks have become,” “It is a lovely area and I used to go there consequences” in human affairs, with strong Taken as a whole, the road creates connections Alan Sann, a consultant environmental found along the EastLink corridor. “There is explains Sann. myself frequently at lunch times to walk passions raised around the idea of concreting between all this and gives various species manager for ConnectEast, says that a chance of brush-tailed possums, and part when I was working on the Eastern over it. the chance to move up and down the 39km the southern end of the project is considered of the landscape work was to locate trees Surprisingly, he says, the degradation Freeway Extension Project for VicRoads,” long space, including the famous duck-billed an important environmental zone, its flood and fallen trunks that might harbour these of the creeks has not entirely defeated says Les Bull, SEITA’s director of engineering That it remains and is now a protected platypus, now a protected species, and the plain constituting a remnant wetland and an animals, and mark the trees for salvage. the local platypus population which seems for the northern half of EastLink. park at the suggestion of SEITA is part animal which Australians say “proves that important zone for migrating seabirds. It was They were moved into reservation areas able to survive the rubbish, if not polluted of the achievement of the EastLink project, God has got a sense of humour.” subject to “controlled action” under Federal alongside the road. water. But the programme will help The space divides into at least three distinct and a major contribution to the city. law which imposed strong constraint on them as well as vastly improving the visual areas: Hillcrest Bushland, Chaim Court To further help the free movement the operations by the contractor. “We have plenty of rabbits and foxes too, amenity for walkers and cyclists. Bushland and Yarran Dheran. Each has its of the animals, the road design includes which you would want to discourage.”

35 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 36 COMMUNITY RELATIONS No 29 29 Householders were consutlted step by step on n0ise wall location and construction

TELLING PEOPLE Unlike the work of the architects, The project was kept going the links that have been civil engineering designers at a record pace: the inevitable established with people WHAT WAS GOING and constructors on a big project upset and community complaints in the half a dozen communities ON DURING like EastLink, the efforts addressed promptly and sensitively. and neighbourhoods along of the communications teams the way, it could certainly have CONSTRUCTION and community relations staff Many of the community’s concerns turned out very differently. leave no tangible results. were addressed early on by WAS A HUGE talking to people, informing These go well beyond the usual COMMUNICATIONS There is nothing concrete like them of what was happening, understanding of public relations bridges, tunnels or highways and equally, listening to their and information provision: on this EFFORT AND WAS curving into the distance to show concerns. scheme the communications DIVIDED BETWEEN to people afterwards. teams built close interactions Such proactive work during with the communities to draw THREE TEAMS But on this project at least construction was complemented in information as well as tell the unseen legacy is enormous. by an equally comprehensive people about the project. strategic information Local forums, discussion groups, Lives were going to be transformed campaign about the road itself, council meetings, group as a quiet corridor of green its development and the changes presentations, tours, and one-to- and empty land was turned into it would make, by the Government, one meetings all complemented a busy motorway, sometimes ConnectEast and Thiess John the usual provision of newsletters close to people’s homes. Holland. and information centres, though these were important too. Although it was always known The three-pronged programme this would happen (the land was crucial in helping a wider All three of the project parties has been designated for future scale long term transformation ran websites with information, transport use since the 1960s) of attitudes and feelings about aerial photography, maps and it was still an upset when a future the project, turning early interaction sections helping to option became a certainty controversy and hostility into reach the population and draw and then a reality. not only anticipation for EastLink their interest. The sites were but also a sense of local particularly useful in helping On top of that, potentially ownership in the achievement people grasp the scale of the disruptive, sometimes noisy of the new facility. project and its progress. and dusty, disturbing work on Australia’s biggest road project This is all built on the quality of was going to intrude on lives the new highway and the great and daily activity for four years improvements it offers in journey before any of the benefits would times and ease, as well as amenities materialise. and appearance. But without

37 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 38 MAJOR ARTWORKS COMMUNITY RELATIONS No 30, 31 Travelling exhibitions and open days were a crucial part of keeping the public in touch with ‘Hotel’ the developing road by Callum Morton

“...NEVER QUITE OF THIS WORLD.”

Description: Steel structural frame, concrete and glass panels. 12 metres long, 20 metres high and 5 metres wide.

Location: Adjacent to the northbound carriageway, between Greens Road and Bangholme Road.

The artist said: “Hotel is effectively a giant folly. Motorists will view it from the car as an actual hotel and perhaps over time as a strangely de-scaled prop that has escaped the theme 30 31 park or film set.”

Demonstrating the project The communications effort was “The biggest issue was the noise Just how people would be divided between three teams walls,” she says. It is a contractual affected was set out in information ConnectEast and SEITA have at SEITA, ConnectEast requirement that the noise from packs sent to homes. They explained continued their websites following and the contractor, working the road is limited and that the different wall types and colours. completion of the project, together but with their own means the provision of kilometres ‘Desiring Machine’ and the Concessionaire’s site areas to focus on. of noise walls, some as high as “We had drawings showing how in particular plays a major role eight metres. close people would be, but we by Simeon Nelson in day-to-day operations. But all three overlapped, also made use of a GIS system especially with information Where these came close to homes that showed the location of the “A COLLISION OF ABSTRACTION There was more too. A general on the project and interactions there was concern about the views roads and houses and allowed AND ORNAMENTATION...” ethos was deliberately established with the local communities. that might be blocked; about people to see quite well how their on the project of “communication security and about the possible own homes would be affected.” by all those involved.” “It was a team effort,” says Megan overshadowing of gardens Description: At the government client end Cusack who headed up one and streets. Some 3,000 properties Another design issue of significance Galvanised steel plate, 36 metres long, 9 metres high the engineers and communications of the biggest teams at TJH, were affected and Cusack’s team, was the tunnel under the pristine and 8 metres wide. team have spent considerable the contractor. “We divided up with six regional managers Mullum Mullum Valley, and in time explaining and demonstrating the work into obvious concerns for the six sections of the project, particular its ventilation structures Location: the project to people at all levels, we each had but shared what made huge efforts discussing and the impact they might have. answering queries and reassuring we were doing.” with people where the walls For this the contractor had a 3D Adjacent to northbound carriageway, south of Thompson them about its impact. would go. model developed by a team Road, near Boundary-Colman’s Road. Her remit was two-fold: the day at the Royal Melbourne Institute

Like the urban design -to-day issues of construction “We tried to take into account of Technology showing the design The artist said: requirements and the toll level disturbance, and covering people’s concerns as much and allowing “fly through” around “Desiring Machine is a fallen tree/tower lying by the roadway. limits, the emphasis on community the way the road changes would as possible, and changes were the stacks and the landscape. It is a crashed relic of machine-age desire putting down new relations was written into impact on homes and localities. sometimes made to the designs,” roots into the earth and unfurling tendrils from its architec- the project from the beginning, Exact details on this became clear she says. For example, sometimes “People could see how it would tonic radii and sections.” at the insistence of SEITA as the design work in the contract requests to have transparent look from their own houses and as part of the concession proceeded, and the concept of acrylic at the wall tops were and this was very successful. deed. Beyond that it was part the road hardened into precise acceded. But the road had to go We had almost no complaints of the contract requirements shapes and sizes. through, and very often “it was about the height and appearance for the design and build work a question of managing people’s of the vent stacks when they by the contractor. expectations.” were being built.”

39 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 40 COMMUNITY RELATIONS No 32 Every effort was made to keep nearby residents informed of the impacts of construction

Significant Impact Alerts were developed using email and by A community advisory group was also set up, texting messages to people’s mobile phones drawing on senior representatives from A 3D model was also used for the area a few minutes in advance of blasting work, the councils, the three EastLink bodies, where the control and headquarters building during a short period of the job when drill and community representatives, for ConnectEast was to be built. and blast was being used. which could raise and discuss a range of issues on the design of the road, Perhaps even more important than this Dust became a particular issue in the contract its construction and implementation. work was the effort to keep people informed period because of drought conditions The group was overseen with great finesse of the impacts of construction, particularly in the region, and particularly on the open, by independent chairperson John Nichol, when there was going to be night work with flatter country at the southern end of the project. a former senior local government engineering bright floodlighting or noise, or very dusty Good weather might have been good for executive who possessed the right qualities earthmoving work. schedules but it had a downside, and wetting to manage sometimes differing interests down and dust suppression became critical. and personalities. Advance warnings were sent around, when necessary by letter, to complement “Very occasionally we even stopped work “We could also run things past them that regular newsletters, and if there was but it was more a question of taking measures might be coming up and there were site a sudden change Cusack’s team would to deal with it, including chemical sprays,” visits and presentations about the project.” door knock affected areas. For particularly says Cusack. Water was scarce. concerned residents there was also an email The community advisory group met some service, says Cusack. Maintaining relationships with busy engineers 50 times during the course of the project. and construction managers was crucial for this. The team also has a hotline phone service. Cusack and her officers had to make sure they SEITA also looked to the more general This was required to have a 24-hour response were known within the huge construction effort. transport industries’ representatives in the bid terms but the contractor’s in a quarterly industry group, the Peak team upped that to answering all But they also spent a lot of time in the Roadusers Forum, drawing in bodies like complaints or inquiries within two hours, communities. As well as responding to inquiries, the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria; something Jo Weeks, the SEITA the teams worked with local groups. the Victorian Transport Authority; director of communications, describes Bicycle Victoria, Transport Workers Union as “setting a new benchmark.” “We made a big effort to do a roadshow and the Bus Association. for the local councils and to establish key All these inquiries were required to be logged contacts in those,” she says. There were also SEITA also organised site visits from many in a database, ensuring a proper record regular forums. national and international companies of community concerns. Cusack could and government organisations. These tours then approach the contract team with hard “We also set up Community Connect forums were hosted by a variety of senior SEITA information about possible upsets that in the areas made up of people who lived figures, in particular Ken Mathers. should be paid attention to. there. We tried to choose people who would have a network of relationships themselves Media communications were an important aspect A major area for disquiet and concern through sports clubs or because they were of the project. It involved talking and responding was the tunnelling work, which raised fears local business people so that they could to both local and state newspapers, TV stations about noise and vibration, especially when reflect issues on the ground and pass on and radio, to communicate key milestones there was blasting to be done. Tours around information.” to the general public. the tunnel were arranged for residents so they could see and understand what This latter initiative overlapped with SEITA also ran its own website with interactive was happening and what was causing the work SEITA was doing. SEITA set up elements including a travel time savings the rumbling noises beneath their feet. communications with all eleven municipal and toll payment calculator as well as interactive In some cases the contractor offered councils along the route. street and aerial maps of the project. to re-house people during the works. “We would have regular catch-ups with “We also ran an information centre “In some circumstances the regenerated the chief executives and officers of these at the SEITA offices, which proved highly noise could sound like an aeroplane taking councils,” says Weeks. off,” says Cusack.

41 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 42 No 33 COMMUNITY RELATIONS The open day held at the Ringwood interchange attracted 21,000 people

popular,” says Weeks. The centre had maps, counterparts, ConnectEast produced written the Group within the business community, information displays, video and publications material as well, including a quarterly an important customer base and within about the project and its progress, newspaper distributed to over 600,000 the infrastructure sector. and importantly could call on Weeks’ team residents in the project corridor. at any time during the day to meet visitors “We are here for the long term and so there and talk them through the scheme. As part of the concession ConnectEast was a need to establish our commitment was committed to two open days on the road, to the road and to the local community.” Individuals popped in to the display one in 2007 and one in June 2008, and equally, groups including school a few weeks before the opening. Both events As construction wound down and the road parties made good use of it, says Weeks. allowed people to see the road first hand, moved into its operations phase, his team’s look around and visit displays and marquees efforts switched to gearing up during the first ConnectEast also created a permanent display, and talk with project teams. weeks of operations, and helping to manage but it looked to do something that would issues with customers and along the road as reach many more people. It set up a travelling The first event was held at the Ringwood it prepared for full toll operation at the end display that proved popular with people interchange in May 2007 and attracted of July 2008 following the four-week toll free living along the corridor, says James Tonkin, 21,000 people, “which showed the great period. the ConnectEast general manager community interest and anticipation,” of communications. says James Tonkin. “The initial weeks of road use brought a flood of community enquiries concerning “The mobile display went round to all the major The second event, held immediately prior customer products, road signage, landscaping shopping centres and town centres in to opening, included a public walk through and customer services.” the region over the project time span.” the tunnels, a fun run, cycling events, It reached over 40,000 people. There were roaming entertainers and information stands. Much of this was to do with the communities DVD fly-throughs, brochures, maps This event proved overwhelmingly popular familiarising themselves with the road, and information as well as someone with around 150,000 people turning up he says. on board the travelling display vehicle for the unique chance to walk, run or cycle to answer questions and give information. on EastLink. Information focused on how the road was working, travel time savings, “Actually going to people rather than having Melbournians took up the once-in-a-lifetime convenience and other community benefits. them come to us was an important feature,” opportunity to cycle along EastLink on he says. the second open day. The event was extremely Tonkin was pleased with the positive coverage popular and became the largest cycling event the road received on statewide and local TV The philosophy was echoed in the choice ever held in Australia, attracting around and newspaper coverage in the first weeks of five major shopping centres as retail 45,000 riders. of operation. outlets for setting up toll accounts and purchasing the electronic tags needed “We estimated that this coverage was equivalent to use the road, “rather than making people Focused on the future to over 50 minutes of unpaid prime-time stop in some remote place off the highway,” news and contributed enormously to raising a point made by John Gardiner, the managing As might be expected from the operator awareness about the new motorway, building director of ConnectEast. of the road, an important part of its role a sense of anticipation around its opening was to inform the public about when the road and to the high volumes of initial traffic The same shopping centre locations were also would begin service, how they would be able using EastLink.” useful information points for ConnectEast to use it and how the tolling would work. in the run up before toll account sales began. The team is settling down for the long haul “We were also simply raising the profile of day-to-day operations: there are another The community contacts were built up in of ConnectEast, both in the community 35 years to go. other ways too, by attending local fêtes and in the wider context around the city,” and one-day community festivals, setting up says Tonkin. Numerous presentations a stand and letting people become acquainted and local industry awards were set up with the road and its operator. Like its with the aim of establishing the identity of

43 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 44 No 34 CUSTOMER SERVICE Enthusiasm for the open day bike ride AS A MAJOR SERVICE was overwhelming PROVIDER, CONNECTEAST HAD TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS IN PLACE TO DEAL WITH ITS CUSTOMERS

For Concessionaire ConnectEast, co-ordinated all the backroom a-week live telephone responses Some tolls, particularly from a high priority as construction customer elements for for customer information, one-off users, are not determined got going, was to establish ConnectEast. A front-line provision accounts and service. Setting up by electronic tag signals its presence in the community. was in the retail toll outlets, this centre with its 130 staff but by number plate recognition. It would after all be a major located in neighbourhood was an early task for Robinson, There are always a proportion service provider in the years to shopping zones rather than who began building up and training of errors in video recognition, come alongside the utilities and along the motorway, as is often the backroom teams in 2006, even though the latest systems transport companies. the case. starting with the appointment keep those to a few per cent. of a contact centre manager, “We needed to be ‘right there’ As well as the five shops at who then directly recruited Mis-read and unrecognised in shopping centres and residential opening there is one motorway and trained the staff. images will be passed to a team areas, proactively providing stopping point in the futuristic of human operators trained information and establishing headquarters building for Behind the scenes there was to identify the car number plates a friendly identity,” says John the company, the distinctive more to be done. Although in difficult images. Gardiner, managing director EastLink Operations Centre. the electronic toll monitoring of ConnectEast. The outlets all served a double and measurement system Among these operators, some function: providing information is a state-of-the-art computerised are hearing-impaired workers, From the moment it opened, services during construction system, it still needs a human employed by the company as part the motorway would be used about the road and how it would interface, so that a credit of its human resources policy. by tens of thousands of vehicles, work, and then as opening day and billing process can access Managers and floor staff were each paying tolls which have came closer, increasingly operating the information required taught Auslan sign language to be collected and collated. sales and setting up of accounts. and monitor individual accounts. to help them fit in properly.

So, quite reasonably these “That allowed us to be ‘right Learning the complex processes Recruitment policy in general customers expect a decent level there’, rather than alongside of the newly-developed toll for the 270 backroom staff of service from ConnectEast the motorway where the system early on and during has also been to draw in as they set up accounts, receive drivers would have to find us,” development running trials the community. A mix of 60% their electronic tags, or pay for says Gardiner. to test them out and give full-time staff and 40% part-time one-off journeys. feedback to the technical teams, allows ConnectEast to cover its But community outlets are only kept the staff busy. peak workloads. But rather than Systems and staff were needed a part of the story. There is also use agency workers, says Robinson, that could work the toll collections, web-based communication, Long before the road was up the Group has recruited its own issue and track individual with updated information, and running, they were familiar part-time network of retired accounts, and liaise with the and an interactive portal for with the system. A key figure people, students and others customer base, dealing with their sales and inquiries. ConnectEast here was a business analyst who can be on call for when problems and explaining how encourages its use with a larger to interface between the they are needed. things work. discount offered for opening computer jargon of the systems’ an account on-line. engineers and the user teams. “There is far more enthusiasm “Service is paramount,” and commitment to the job doing says Shirley Robinson, customer In addition there is a contact Alongside is a manual it that way,” says Robinson. services manager, who has centre with 24-hour, seven-days- image-recognition team.

45 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 46 CONSTRUCTION No 35 Traffic diversions had to be thought through carefully for the construction of the major interchanges. Dozens of traffic patterns were used

AN AGGRESSIVE TIMETABLE For TJH, the biggest challenge of EastLink crossing at Ringwood. Some of the bigger Though there may have been a little competition helped the design teams standardise with the construction unions early on. was to deliver the A$2.5 billion construction interchanges were complex too, especially between regions, this was not the intention, their bridge beams at a maximum This freed up a provision in Australia WAS SET WITH THE AIM program as efficiently and quickly as possible. the Monash Freeway interchange which had and the central project office coordinated of 130tonnes for example. for “lock down” weekends whereby OF COMPLETING EASTLINK to be built around a busy live road without the resources between them and provided the industry is guaranteed particular holiday It was in everyone’s interest to finish disrupting it. overarching services and control. That worked in conjunction with setting and weekend times during the year. In return EARLIER THAN SCHEDULED. the work fast, and an aggressive timetable up a precast yard in , around 130 for higher rates and site allowances on IT WORKED was set, driven especially by project director But even these did not face exceptional Don Johnson, TJH general manager for kilometres from EastLink,where the rapid the job, flexibility in time-off was allowed Gordon Ralph. obstacles. The real issue was mobilising operations, says: “A watchword was that production of beams allowed a faster, which gave the contractor’s management and controlling the resources for an entire project comes first.” Machines or other better quality assembly of the project’s the scope to move around resources as needed. “This was a reasonably conventional type length of road over 39km with 88 bridge resources would be shifted to the areas many bridges. All but a few of the major of contract. But this is a toll road and so there structures; hundreds of thousands of square that were most important for the overall road bridges used the components and only “The only drawback was when you needed is a commercial imperative to be running metres of road base and asphalting; cuttings critical path. two or three of the longest interchange a sub-contractor in there as well,” as soon as possible. There were substantial to excavate and spoil to move; 28km of noise ramp bridges involved a different design says Ralph. “Their crews were still working penalties for any over-runs and of course wall to design; manufacture and install; The contractor bought significant quantities where steel beams were used. The pedestrian to the standard calendar.” bonuses were agreed if it could come in early,” landscaping, drainage and services; of plant, more than A$70 million worth, bridges, and many smaller bridges says Graham Gilpin, the ConnectEast general and the coordination with the mechanical particularly dozers and graders considered on the EastLink Trail, were also in steel. The project team is extremely proud of manager construction who co-ordinated and electrical installation (M&E). critical for the work. Australia has a healthy the end result – the project came in five the design and construction for ConnectEast. hire industry but could not have guaranteed Controlling all this was “simply a matter months early, though Ralph would have “It all had to be under full production the quantities needed. of detailed and precise planning,” liked to have achieved an even tighter result. The challenges were not overly complex, to achieve the result.” Some great early work says Johnson, and constantly analysing says Ralph, at least not on the civil was done by original project director, Chris One significant piece of equipment was and adjusting the programme. They hit very high levels of production, engineering side. Tolling was another matter Herbert. TJH had established its corporate the large German ‘Demag’ mobile crane A$100 million per month for a sustained and the contract team had to develop headquarters and divided the physical works bought for around A$3.5 million. It was so ”Project-wide run rates become very important, period, “which I was told was impossible. and test a state-of-the-art electronic into six regions to tackle each with its own large that it exceeded Victoria’s road axle for asphalt, for noise walls, for length of guard But we showed them.” system that had rarely been used full staff – project management, construction loadings and had to be given special rail erected and so on. and certainly never been done on such engineers, quality management, environmental permission for import. It is a positive result for the whole Australian scale, a notoriously fraught enterprise management, safety management, traffic “It is very basic really, making sure the resources industry, says Johnson. It gives them particularly for the software required engineers and so on. Each also had its own But with capacity to lift 500tonnes close in, are on site at the right time. It sounds horribly the confidence to go and tackle world projects (see separate chapter). communications people. Chris also or 100tonne or 200tonne loads on a long simple but people don’t always do it.” and some of the other big ones now happening focused on developing a strong culture of reach, it proved vital for bridge construction. in Australia. The engineering challenges included safety first and the establishment of The use of the crane, nicknamed Helping all this was a special one-off the tunnel under the Mullum Mullum Valley important relationships with stakeholders. “Snow White” by local school children, industry agreement the contractor struck and a complex bridge slide, needed for a railway

47 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 48 EASTLINK PROFILE ARTWORKS Artists’ impressions

It is always a mistake to say “nowhere else its public art commitment,” says Yvonne “The end result is spectacular with four in the world,” but surely nowhere else von Hartel. “Safety and visibility were very different responses to the brief in the world have major artworks been instrumental in selecting the locations and reflects the skills and talents specially commissioned and placed for the four large artworks.” of the final four selected artists by a roadway as part of its overall design – James Angus, Emily Floyd, and appearance. For EastLink, however, The large works are located in the southern Callum Morton and Simeon Nelson there is nearly A$6 million worth of art. half of the project where the road moves Four giant pieces are placed by the road out of built-up residential and urban “The commissioned works are intended at key points and are highly visible from areas and travels through open land, to be both challenging and stimulating,” the passing vehicles. Another eight parks, industrial estates and flood plains. says von Hartel. Another eight works smaller works are sited along the EastLink Noise walls and other design features were chosen for the EastLink Trail; Trail to be viewed by walkers and cyclists. are less frequent here and there is space a mix of purchased exhibited work to provide the works, says von Hartel. and specific commissions for new pieces A small committee consisting of ConnectEast of art. The selected works are by artists director Yvonne von Hartel AM (Chair), “The brief was to select young Australian Inge King, Alexander Knox, Mitsuo Janet Holmes à Court AO and EastLink artists who were establishing their careers Takeuchi, Campbell Robertson-Swann, Gordon Ralph is project director It was partly due to his tight to a couple of years road building of Afghanistan at the end architects Roger Wood and Randal Marsh, and give them the opportunity to submit Matt Calvert, Jos van Hulsen and Ashika for TJH. management and insistent for the NSW State Government of the 1970s, a year as the only was created to commission and choose proposals to the Committee. We chose Ostapkowicz and are sized to suit schedules after joining the project but he grew frustrated and westerner in an incipient civil the works. “The bid to the Government for four locations and asked eight artists the smaller and more intimate surrounds He joined the project in that the road construction came “bought myself out”. war, he says. EastLink included an offer for public art to develop submissions, meaning each of the EastLink Trail. September 2005 following in successfully nearly half and ConnectEast has very much embraced location would have two submissions,” the early establishment a year early. Contracting jobs on mining Then it was back to Australia says von Hartel. of the TJH workforce by schemes in Queensland were for work on earth fill dams for Chris Herbert. The achievement comes from years followed by the Australian world around five years until he joined of experience in the industry. adventure, “tourism stuff till Leighton Contractors in 1985. An old-style construction boss A practical focus began with the money ran out”. There followed a 22-year career. with a strong focus on driving an ambition to be a carpenter but In 1997, he took on the Eastern to the finish would not be an he was persuaded that he could Then there was experience Distributor Project in Sydney, unfair description for Gordon not leave school at 16 and chose on oil rigs in the North Sea, a $600 million, finance, design, Ralph, who commuted from a path through civil engineering and work in Indonesia on sugar build, own and operate project Sydney for a six-day week on instead. Study at New South refineries, followed by similar comprising a 6km long urban Australia’s most intensive project. Wales University in Sydney led work in the far flung reaches toll road linking the city centre to the airport and including a 1.7km tunnel.

It was good preparation for leading one of the bids for the EastLink project, which he began in 2003 after completing another three years as operations manager in New South Wales.

After being part of the losing bid, he later joined the Thiess No 36 A favourite already with John Holland team to take on children is the “big bird” what was then Australia’s largest sculpture officially called urban road project. “Public Art Strategy” by Emily Floyd

49 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 50 TUNNEL

A TUNNEL WAS DEEMED THE ONLY WAY OF PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE MULLUM MULLUM VALLEY

In engineering terms the A$400 million Roadheaders at work Achieving water tightness involved having tunnel under the Mullum Mullum Valley a circular cross section for the tunnel was the most complex of the EastLink Excavation was undertaken by four and using a drainage blanket and waterproof construction work: the largest single large machines known as roadheaders. membrane lining, says Ed Taylor, element and a project in itself. These have a rotating head with cutting a John Holland engineer who was tunnel

teeth at the end of a pivoting boom engineering manager for the project. 37 “When the original proposal for a surface for cutting away the tough rock in front. This was placed behind a permanent road proved an unacceptable option, inner concrete lining. various tunnel options were examined,” They also have scoop arms at the front recalls Les Bull, SEITA’s director and conveyors to the back to load directly A system using curved precast concrete of engineering for the northern half into the dump trucks. Some blasting floor units, sitting on temporary blocks of the project, which includes the tunnel. was also done, particularly where the rock on the membrane, allowed a flat top was too hard. to be constructed so that trucks could run Eventually, a 1.6km long alignment was by. Temporary rails on each side supported chosen with three lanes in each direction. Jenny Carbery, SEITA’s senior project two gantries in each tunnel to assist with engineer for the tunnel, explained that construction including concrete pouring. Twin tunnels with diameters of over a mobile phone text system was devised 16 metres were required, each with to alert people a few minutes before The construction of cross passages between a special ventilation building at the exit a blast took place. the main tunnels every 120 metres end and large fans to capture the air (essential for safe passage in the event leaving the tunnel and the car exhaust Stringent site work practice and other of an incident) also meant trucks could contained in it. safety measures in the tunnel proved pass between the two main tunnels highly successful in creating a safe carrying materials. This is dispersed from the tunnels through working environment, a significant 47 metre tall ventilation stacks. achievement in one of the most dangerous Site build-up for the tunnels, which have sectors of civil construction. state-of-the-art incident detection By constructing the ventilation buildings and monitoring equipment, started in early, and fitting them with special roller Once a six metre deep ‘top heading’ February 2005. The first heading was doors which could be closed at night, was excavated by the roadheader excavated by August that year, 38 39 the sound of the machinery in the tunnels or blasting, the rest of the tunnel depth and breakthroughs occurred in October was contained to no more than the required was removed in what are called benches, and November 2006. The tunnels became 10 decibels above background. using excavators fitted with hydraulic operational in June 2008. breaker hammers. The ventilation buildings were also big No 37 No 38 No 39 enough to stockpile rock excavated The tunnel also was required to be fully Full “tanking”, waterproofing The powerful roadheaders Tunnel construction, overnight, and this was removed next day ‘tanked’, meaning watertight, rather than with a membrane, was used carved the rock away with always dangerous, by trucks, along with excavated material allowing water in and then draining it out. for the tunnel to ensure their multi-toothed rotating was done essentially from the day shift. a minimum of leakage pick-axes without a single accident problems and the highest levels of safety

51 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 52 CONSTRUCTION No 40 EastLink’s Operations Centre sits strategically above the Ringwood bypass turnoff just before the northbound road passes into the tunnel underneath the pristine THE HEAVY RAIL CROSSING Mullum Mullum Valley FOR THE BELGRAVE/LILYDALE RAIL LINES DEMANDED INGENUITY AND CAREFUL PLANNING

Most of EastLink’s 88 bridges were kept but stood free in the top few metres once The new superstructure had been built as simple and straightforward as possible. the ground was excavated around them, alongside the operational tracks, and was Precast was used for speed and economy, forming the columns of the bridge. supported on reinforced concrete beams with logistics and sequencing the uppermost contiguous with each of the new piers challenges for their erection. The job was difficult because the piles’ heavy and abutments. steel reinforcement and connections had But the Ringwood rail bridge demanded to be done with unusual precision to allow A steel running plate was on top of the beams much greater ingenuity and careful planning the crossheads to slot in later. and by using Teflon bearing pads the bridge due to the heavier loadings it had to support could be slid along, pulled by powerful once completed. SEITA also required The site was prepared for the cranes 140tonne capacity hydraulic jacks at each the design to allow for future expansion and excavators needed for the weekend pier and abutment. of the line from two tracks to three tracks. operation so that everything could be carried out in a tightly controlled The concrete beams were built to the ends To achieve this, TJH built the entire bridge sequence, and on time. Over 200 men of the new crossheads so that this rail could 14 metres to one side of the existing track and dozens of machines, cranes, excavators go on to them and carry the bridge into its and then, when it was ready, slid it into place and trucks were involved. final position. using powerful jacks. The 500tonne crane, ‘Snow White’, Preparations concluded with a trial pull The rail line, operated by Connex, was shut used throughout the project for bridge for the new deck a few weeks before for short periods but otherwise it remained construction, was required for lifting the occupation, and the second operation operational following a programme devised the heavy crossheads. went exceptionally well. early on by engineers. “First task in the possession was to rip up The bridge was in place with its track, Essentially the foundations and final columns the entire train track, and then to dig the links to the main track either side were of the bridge had to be installed first and then trenches for the crossheads so they could be installed and tamped down and new power the crosshead supports for the bridge deck. positioned on the piles,” says Matthew Gault, lines were installed to replace the old. the TJH project manager for the Ringwood Signalling was reconnected and trains The foundations for the four-span bridge section of the project. were rolling through for the Monday comprised 1.8 metre diameter bored morning rush hour. concrete piles which could be installed All that had to be replaced and the tracks outside the train ‘envelope’. relaid by the Monday morning peak period. Meanwhile underneath, the excavation of the highway cutting could be completed Pairs of the piles at each of three pier The second possession, just after the Christmas to full depth and the road section could join positions and for the abutments were break, involved sliding the new bridge the rest of the highway construction. put in through the existing train embankment. superstructure, complete with rail tracks They went into the ground as support and ballast, to the new alignment thus replacing the existing track.

53 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 54 CONSTRUCTION

THE DECISION TO SET UP A DEDICATED FABRICATION OR PRECAST YARD WAS A WINNER, IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

A decision to set up its own precast fabrication was chosen for the precast yard, offering The design team took full advantage yard was one of the best moves the contractor spaces for laydown areas and covered production of the precast facility, which allowed them TJH made on the whole project, helping it facilities as well some outdoor casting beds. to move to a maximum beam span length bring the contract in five months early. of 1,800mm. A workforce of some 200-plus, and around It gave the construction team flexibility 40 staff, was drawn from a population The precast yard also manufactured very in both the design and logistical planning of “which had past engineering construction heavy 200tonne sections made for bridge the huge project, which involved the largest skills and a willingness to learn new ones,” piers, an unusual use of precasting, bridge building exercise in Victoria’s history. says Lee Price, TJH construction services but one which saved further time at site, It also ensured tight quality control of the major manager. says Dauth. This would particularly save structural elements on the road from bridges time on the central reservations of live roads through to the assorted noise reflectors A specially-erected concrete batching where work on site would have demanded and fascia panels of the retaining walls. plant was manufactured by a local supplier weeks or even months of traffic control specifically for the works, eventually turning measures and constrained access. The precast facility also spread some out 450 separate items a week. of the economic benefits of the project The yard also turned out the moulded panels to a region of Victoria away from Melbourne The most important part of the precast operation for the noise walls (which required a variety that needed an economic push. was the 1,650 bridge beams for the 88 separate of specially coloured to be developed) bridges making up the 17 major crossings and much larger cantilevered panels During just over two years of operations and interchanges on the road. Most were with textured finishes and coloured fascias the yard had to produce vast quantities, the Super Tee beams, a V-shaped trough for the soil nail retaining walls. nearly 23,000 pieces in all, of a wide variety with a flat base and flat projections from bridge beams and parapets panels at the top. This design had been developed in All the units had to be delivered mainly to assorted noise wall panels, retaining wall Victoria, and is now widely used in Australia at night on State roads, which was a major fascia units and even bridge pier sections. because of its versatility. It can be produced planning exercise in itself. Bigger loads in various depths and for different spans. needed escorts and could only travel “Once it got going it was the largest precast at restricted times. yard in Australia,” says Don Johnson, TJH’s John Dauth says that the unit the contractor’s operations manager is particularly convenient. When placed side Price says that VicRoads, the State Government for the overall project. by side the units immediately form a flat deck road agency, was extremely helpful surface that can be used as a base for casting with permits and routing for the more

An old steel fabrication yard at Morwell, the deck and for walking on. than 100km-plus distance. No 41 a town about 150km from Melbourne, The use of precast for much of the construction ensured both speed and quality of the work

55 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 56 THE TOLLING SYSTEM

THE TOLL SYSTEM ON EASTLINK WORKS WITH OTHER ROADS, AND OFFERS USERS A VARIETY OF WAYS TO PAY

The tolling system chosen for EastLink is The same applies for video account holders for the collection of the data which is required called a multi-lane free-flow Electronic Toll (accounts based on licence plate numbers – LPN) to calculate the fee for using the road, and for Collection (ETC) system, which means that who can drive on both tollways, without enforcement purposes. vehicles do not have to stop to pay. needing to open a second account (although different fees apply). The actual calculation of the tolls and all Interoperability, or interaction, with other the customer service and billing functions are Australian toll systems was important EastLink’s tolling system means customers provided by a separate central tolling system. for a seamless customer experience have a choice of three identification Vehicles entering a gantry’s ‘detection and mandated by Australian Standards. and payment methods: via the Breeze tag; and tracking zone’ are monitored and are EastLink uses an electronic tag system via the video-based tolling or they can elect classified as a motorcycle, car or light – “Breeze” – based on the European DSRC to pay on a casual-use basis, buying vouchers or heavy commercial vehicle. 42 standard. It is, for example, interchangeable for road use as and when they need them. with another DSRC tag system (e-TAG) When a vehicle tag is activated a series already in use on the nearby CityLink. The tag tolling system meets European of checks are rapidly carried out, and as part Dedicated Short-Range Communications standards and was supplied by the Spanish of the tolling procedure at each gantry, No 42, 43, 44 State of the art electronic (DSRC) are one-way or two-way short company SICE. It employs roadside equipment images of a vehicle and both its front and rear tolling was developed to medium range wireless communication and tags supplied by Austrian-company licence plates are captured. The system is able specially for the project channels specifically designed for automotive Kapsch TraffiCom. to automatically read the vehicle’s licence use and a corresponding set of protocols plate number from these images. and standards. It offers communication Along its 39km length EastLink has 13 tolling between the vehicle and roadside equipment. points each with two gantries. Images generated by the tolling system are only held for a very short period of time. Peter Bentley, ConnectEast’s chief operating Other sites around the world use similar The exception is where enforcement action officer, was involved in the project’s bid phase systems from Kapsch (including Sydney’s is deemed necessary, when a road user has and has been responsible for overseeing ), and this means the roadside not made an arrangement to pay the tolls. the delivery of the tolling system and planning system was considered “proven technology” its future operations. when commissioned. The specification for the EastLink tolling system included the ability to handle 4.5 million

43 44 He says that an agreement between toll road The roadside computer system equipment vehicle passages under gantries (transactions) operators ensures that electronic tags will be for the EastLink toll system is deployed per day. interoperable throughout Australia. in technical shelters and on gantries. Sensors are housed on the gantries that cover discrete During the toll-free testing period, He explains: “This means, in effect, that if you tollway sections uniquely defined by the road prior to going live, an average of 277,000 have a CityLink tag, it will work on EastLink technology, while the technical shelters hold trips per day were handled: the peak number and vice versa, and the tolls will appear the various control units which synchronise of transactions in a given 24-hour period on a single statement. the gantry sensors and process and store was over one million. the vital data on vehicles from them. “We do not want motorists needing to open more than one account or install two or more The roadside/gantry system, which comprises tags to use any of the tollroads now in use.” sophisticated equipment, is responsible

57 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 58 OPERATIONS OPERATIONS

Tunnel Safety height detection system activates warning To ensure that operations on EastLink are signs before the last available exit, integrated into the connecting road systems, Tunnel safety has been given highest priority. so the driver has an opportunity to divert its traffic control room operators coordinate In the event of an accident: away from the tunnels. A secondary system their work with that of operators will activate boom gates to prevent in the VicRoads Traffic Management • incident detection cameras would provide the offending vehicle from entering the tunnel. Centre as required. the control centre with the first alarm; The technology takes into consideration the nature of the interruption to the beam EastLink’s electronic signage and control • heat sensors running off fibre optic so false alarms are eliminated. devices have been designed to work singularly systems and zoned to 30 metre intervals or in combination, meaning multiple devices As the Concessionaire of the EastLink Control Room All pan/tilt cameras operate continuously, along the length of each tunnel would If the beam detects an overheight vehicle can be activated in response to one command. project, ConnectEast engaged Transfield but can be manipulated automatically should detect any change in temperature that has passed the last exit opportunity, Services under a five-year, optionally Transfield’s monitoring and management the system raise an alert to the traffic control and automatically alert the control centre a variable message sign (VMS) instructs that Closing a lane in a tunnel, for example, renewable contract for the road’s operation of EastLink traffic is conducted from room operators. If a tunnel cross passage door if there was a fire; vehicle to stop and all vehicles in the vicinity requires the activation of many lane use and maintenance. In Australia, Transfield the EastLink Operations Centre (ELOC) is opened, for example, an alert is raised, are slowed down via the variable speed limit signs, tunnel message signs, the radio Services holds a number regional road in Ringwood, overlooking the road and just and cameras in the tunnel and its cross passages • the traffic control room operator could system. If the offending vehicle doesn’t stop, rebroadcast system, VMSs and variable speed maintenance contracts, together with contracts south of the tunnels. are switched to the video wall where they pan manually activate the water deluge an automatic closure of boom gates will occur. limit signs. All this can be achieved from for the operation and maintenance of Sydney’s to show vision of the relevant door. Other system if deemed necessary. [The system The traffic control room operator can abort a single or a very limited number of commands. and Melbourne’s CityLink According to Birthisel, the control room is very cameras are programmed to swing to specific can supply full capacity deluge over a road this automatic closure if required. - both major tollways. The company is also similar to those built for other road projects angles, depending on what has activated length of 60 metres while supplying Automated messages can be over-ridden, involved in operation and maintenance around the world, but it includes the very latest them. Console operators have manual control sufficient water for the operation of two Transfield Services dispatches one of its a variety of responses to situations are selectable of the . evolutions in traffic management technology. over every pan/tilt camera. fire brigade hoses from hydrants nearby.] incident management vehicles immediately. from menus, and if required the traffic control In a well structured and well rehearsed room operator can create a new message Glenn Birthisel, Transfield Services’ contract Operators are stationed at two main consoles • the tunnel’s jet and exhaust fans would procedure, one man on-site assisted to suit the situation. manager for EastLink, was involved with 24-hours-a-day. The consoles are identical Tunnel Ventilation be used for smoke management; and by the traffic control room operator can Melbourne’s CityLink tollway for about eight in layout and function, and the whole EastLink safely sort out the traffic, send the offending years before switching over to EastLink as the operation can be monitored from either In the design of the tunnels on EastLink there • advice would be disseminated to motorists vehicle around onto the opposite carriageway Traffic Flow Monitoring ConnectEast consortium was preparing its bid. one. Facing the control room operators was a requirement for vehicle emissions via tunnel message signs, public address to return from whence it came and have is a 2 metre x 4 metre rear projection screen to be discharged through the ventilation stacks systems and/or messages transmitted the road fully open again within ten minutes Pairs of pavement loop detectors installed “Transfield’s role is to operate and maintain that provides information on the status located near each tunnel’s exit and not through through a radio rebroadcast system of the closure. in each lane at approximately 500 metre the finished product, but it was vitally of tunnel and traffic management devices, the tunnel portals. The systems used to achieve and onto vehicles’ AM and FM radios intervals are used to monitor traffic volumes important that we were involved in this including what is currently displayed this goal are complex. In each tunnel, sensors The booms at each end can also be lowered and the classes of vehicle using EastLink. project through the design phase as well,” on the multitude of message signs. On an constantly monitor air speeds, visibility Every 120 metres the tunnels are linked if an incident occurs inside the tunnels, This data allows the prediction of the travel says Birthisel. “We needed to look at whole array of smaller screens, as alerts within and the levels of carbon monoxide and nitrous with a cross passage which would provide to prevent any potential harm to approaching times to exit points further along EastLink of life issues, consider what impact the design the various traffic monitoring systems are oxide. Twelve jet fans in each tunnel move motorists with access to the other tunnel motorists. and the Eastern Freeway. These times are might have on road operation and future triggered, real-time images are displayed the air towards the ventilation stacks at rates in the case of emergency. In case of breakdown, recalculated every 20 seconds and the 12 trip maintainability, and ensure that any issues from 24 of almost 150 CCTV cameras along dependent on both the sensor data and air help phones are located at, and opposite, Birthisel said that by having one entity information signs are updated accordingly. were resolved as early as possible during the route. flow conditions inside the tunnels. In conditions every cross passage in both tunnels. Mobile look after both traffic management from the design.” of high traffic volumes, or if several large phone coverage is also provided inside the control room and incident response they trucks pass through a tunnel together, the tunnels. have managed to achieve an extremely well Weighing In Motion Transfield Services now has about 70 staff Tunnel Monitoring there can be a tendency for the traffic to force integrated incident management solution. employed full time on EastLink, the vast air ahead of itself towards a portal. In this Between Cheltenham Road and the Princes majority of whom are in the field working In the tunnels, pan/tilt cameras are located instance the jet fans reduce the air flow Maximum Vehicle Height Highway, facilities have been installed on the maintenance of signage, vegetation, every 120 metres, and fixed position, so fans in the ventilation stacks can extract Road Signage And Its Control in the road to measure and record the weight drains and road pavements, together with high-tech incident detection cameras every the air effectively, before it reaches the portal. According to Birthisel, many builders of road of each axle of each vehicle. It is anticipated all the mechanical and electrical equipment 60 metres and at the tunnel portals. In conditions of light traffic, the jet fans may tunnels around the world could learn from There are more than 180 Variable Message that data from the weighing will lead to a better including lighting, power supplies, fire detection Data from the detection cameras undergoes need to operate in the opposite direction the innovations introduced on EastLink Signs (VMS) along EastLink, and Birthisel understanding of freight movements and suppression equipment, toll gantries image analysis to check what changes have to ensure there is sufficient air flow to keep to stop overheight vehicles entering the tunnels. said that Transfield’s early work in developing and the loads being carried around and associated tolling equipment. occurred in the patterns of pixels since air quality in the tunnels within specifications. more than 240 traffic management plans Melbourne. The data will also be used the previous analysis. Pattern changes Each ventilation stack contains five large The maximum allowable vehicle height was crucial to the final layout of the signage in later analysis of the pavement’s performance. Monitoring of water quality in the many wetlands consistent with a vehicle travelling normally exhaust fans. A maximum of four can be in for an EastLink tunnel is 4.65 metres, network. is also one of Transfield’s responsibilities. are ignored. However, a pattern consistent service at one time with the fifth as a standby. the same maximum that applies with a stationary vehicle or a pedestrian, The time of day and traffic volumes expected to Melbourne’s CityLink tunnels. EastLink also has ramp control signs, a pattern moving backwards or a pattern determine the number of exhaust fans that freeway condition signs, trip information change indicating that debris has appeared operate at any one time. On EastLink, infrared beams monitor signs, lane use signs, variable speed limit on the road, for example, will all trigger the height of vehicles as they approach signs and the signs on approach roads. a traffic alert. Transfield manages the tunnel ventilation the tunnels from each end. The primary from the control room.

59 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 60 ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIGS

THE ROAD SITE One of the more curious aspects “Most of these were stone The high ground was the reason of the EastLink landscaping fragments, chips from the making for the presence of the remains in THREW UP SOME is a mound of earth towards of stone tools, and some tools the first place. It seems migrating INTERESTING FINDS the southern end of the project themselves such as hammer tribes stopped here seasonally, near the . stones and Bondi spearheads,” choosing the higher ground THAT HAD TO says McKechnie. “More organic above surrounding swampland BE INVESTIGATED It contains the remnants of a major remains did not survive at this to camp on. archaeological find, possibly one point. It seems to have been EVEN IF IT MEANT of the more important made swampy ground and with such an To give excavators time for EXTRA WORK on the Australian mainland. acidic character, bones and such the investigation, a special chicane It is comparable with finds material were dissolved.” had to be created around the site, made in Tasmania, according allowing the big heavy haulage to John McKechnie, who oversaw Despite that, the material trucks to pass around the works archaeological liaison work on the site was of great importance on the way to dumping points. for contractor TJH. and drew the attention of Dr Jim Allan, a foremost All this caused some frustration Like on a dozen other aboriginal figure in aboriginal studies, and fears for the project schedule, sites found on the road corridor, who has done two reports. says McKechnie. But the work or already known to exist, visual Studies on the materials sifted had to be done, and archaeological inspection, digging and excavation out of the ground and removed requirements in the last resort of trenches was required. from the site will continue can stop a project completely. for years. As it happens the site was But whereas other sites needed considered well investigated weeks or a few months, here a team “A lot of resources and time after two years, and was released of 20 investigators spent over were put into the investigation,” with the sifted material to be two years on the project, says McKechnie. kept on one side. to carefully investigate and sift the ground for artefacts and The site had to be investigated Other investigations along remains. A team of archaeological because about one-third of it lay the site were also carried out workers from the La Trobe directly on the road alignment including some of 19th century University carefully dug along and just at a point where the ground settlements, like an old the road line to piece together rises above the surroundings, coaching inn. But none have a picture of aboriginal life going which meant it had to be removed had the significance of back 30,000 years, and with for a cutting. The remaining the Dandenong site. particularly significant relics two-thirds of the site are intact. from around 3,000-6,000 years ago.

61 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 62 MAJOR ARTWORKS LESSONS LEARNED ‘Ellipsoidal Freeway Sculpture’ by James Angus

“SHAPES WILL APPEAR TO EXPAND AND CONTRACT...”

Description: Painted fibreglass on a steel framework, a chain of 24 modular ellipsoids parallel to the roadway, varying in shape and ranging in diameter from one to three metres.

Location: Adjacent to the northbound carriageway between Following the opening of EastLink, from the project and gave us good access The proactive development of the urban Wellington Road and Corhanwarrabul Creek. a workshop for the various parties involved to government decision makers: senior people design and commitment of all parties in the project’s delivery was convened who could get answers and make decisions to achieving an outstanding outcome to review the key successes of the project quickly. The parties we worked with appreciated is demonstrated in the final result. The artist said: and to analyse what could have been done that and responded very strongly. We had Perhaps less visible but no less important, “My intention is to create a sculpture that is genuinely a little differently. learned the benefits of a single purpose the value of communicating with the public three-dimensional and maximises the effect of various authority previously, but EastLink certainly has also been highlighted. We made a point viewing positions. Shapes will appear to expand Geoff Rayner, SEITA’s general manager reinforced the value of this approach. of getting as much information into and contract...[and]...are intended to form a series engineering, looks at some of the lessons the community as possible, emphasising all of lenses for viewing the surrounding landscape.” learned from earlier projects that influenced One of the most important factors behind the benefits of the project: the way it would the Government’s approach to EastLink EastLink’s success was how well all better link communities; the savings in travel and the lessons learned from EastLink that the project relationships worked. time and fuel; the road’s aesthetics; will be carried forward. Positive relationships don’t just happen, the attention to noise abatement; the extent so we very deliberately set about building of remediation of creeks; and all the new “The establishment of SEITA as a single and fostering them. It helped that so many wetlands to be created. Then we made sure purpose government authority to oversee of the key people in each organisation had the community was updated with construction ‘Public Art Strategy’ EastLink worked exceptionally well. known each other in civil engineering progress all the way through. It ensured that nothing would cause distraction business over a long time, helping to create by Emily Floyd an element of trust. Of course, much of the project success and speed of delivery must be attributed Relationships were also fostered from the top, to past Governments who were forward “A STORY ABOUT PLACE AND IDENTITY.” with the SEITA and ConnectEast boards thinking enough in the 1960s to set participating in joint project inspections aside the land required to build EastLink. Description: to further build relations. The dedicated focus As a result, community acceptance of the Fabricated steel, 19 metres long, 13 metres high and 7.5 metres on Corporate Governance for all project project was much greater. wide at the wing span. parties was exceptional, and this single focus

at board level provided an avenue for value As with all projects of its type, lessons have Location: adding and is another key benefit of the public been learned for incorporation into future private partnership model. projects. These include streamlining Adjacent to the southbound carriageway between the design approvals process, undertaking Cheltenham Road and Dandenong Bypass. The role of the Independent Reviewer innovative methods for recruiting human

in reviewing design and delivery of the project resources and construction materials The artist said: by “general overview and reasonable checking” and continuing to make advances in design also worked exceptionally well, providing and construction methods and technologies. “The sculpture depicts a giant blackbird ominously contemplating both the State and ConnectEast with Having set a new benchmark with the delivery an object, part worm-part generic modernist sculpture.” an independent assessment of design of EastLink, future projects to be delivered compliance and construction progress in Melbourne can only benefit from its and quality and readiness for operation. achievements and lessons.

63 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE 64 SUMMARY

The art of road building has been taken projects into into something beyond the norm,” an unprecedented A$100 million turnover “to a new level” with opening of the EastLink says Ken Mathers, CEO of SEITA, the State per month on a project acknowledged as tollway in Melbourne, Australia. body which commissioned and saw through one of the safest and most environmentally the project. conscious in the country. The finished product offers users not just a major enhancement in transport provision, SEITA developed a refined and sophisticated The road also shows how a project can win but state-of-the-art technology for ease of use high-level performance specification to give over the community. combined with unprecedented attention bid competitors full rein for innovation, to the aesthetics and appearance. stimulating state-of-the-art offers for tolling Few community relations teams face challenges technology, value for money tolls and an like those on EastLink, which would not only On this road there is also art in the road building. integrated architecture. turn a quiet transport reserve into a busy Design and form are not just reflections road corridor, but which also started off in an of engineering needs for cuttings, embankments An exhaustive bid, built on past experience issues rich environment. and barriers but a carefully integrated to keep the rivals locked in to competition, architecture to give it coherence, interest resulted in various “extras” for the road Initial community concern has now become and balance. Landscaping enhances within the bid costs. enthusiasm, not only as the quality of the road architectural forms. has become apparent, but because of intensive The “extras” included the Trail; additional community relations efforts by the Government There is even art on the roadway: four giant and significant lengths of major road for client SEITA; the Concessionaire ConnectEast modern sculptures for the motor travellers toll-free bypasses for two urban centres, and the contractor TJH. ConnectEast has also and eight smaller works on the EastLink with junctions into the main EastLink; worked hard to integrate with the community. Trail (an excellent walking and cycling path enhancement for local railway stations, alongside). and community provision of parkland In all aspects, by opening day the road had and facilities around the wetland areas. achieved a success that was internationally Provision of the Trail, behind extensive sound significant, believes ConnectEast managing barriers, across natural bushland and around A refined inspection system was used director John Gardiner. reconditioned creeks, waterways and ponds, to monitor construction, based around reflects sensitivity in the design to environment the advanced concept of an Independent As Ken Mathers declares: “We believe and community needs. Reviewer, to ensure everything was EastLink could have set a new worldwide delivered as bid. benchmark for road building.” EastLink also demonstrates how the right approach to design and commissioning Construction itself broke records, of the road can give users benefits and extras. at A$2.5 billion for construction, the largest project in Australia. On six “Using public-private partnership methods, occasions, design-build contractor Thiess carefully controlled, means you can turn John Holland, a joint venture, carried out

65 EASTLINK: MELBOURNE’S MOTORWAY MASTERPIECE