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Gateway upgrades to recycled materials

A huge quantity of recycled materials is being used to build two critical Queensland Department of Main Roads road upgrades to the north of Brisbane.

A huge quantity of recycled materials is being used to build two critical Queensland Department of Main Roads road upgrades to the north of Brisbane.A huge quantity of recycled materials is being used to build two critical Queensland Department of Main Roads road upgrades to the north of Brisbane.

Alex Fraser has announced that it is supplying sustainable construction materials to the $1.143 billion Gateway Upgrade North project currently being constructed by Lendlease and also to the Bruce Highway (Pine River bridge and Anzac Avenue) upgrade currently being constructed by ALLROADS.

The Gateway Motorway North is a critical transport corridor to the northeast of Brisbane that links Brisbane Airport, Port of Brisbane and the Australia Trade Coast precinct with the wider Brisbane area and Sunshine Coast via the Bruce Highway. Currently a four-lane motorway carrying more than 83,000 vehicles per day, it is already near capacity. It requires an upgrade to futureproof for projected population and trade growth and to improve safety and efficiency.

The project, jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments, will widen 11.3 kilometres of the motorway to six lanes, in addition to a number of other improvements.

The Bruce Highway is one of Australia’s major highways and links Brisbane and Cairns. The Pine River bridge and Anzac Avenue upgrade is being undertaken to improve road user safety at the most southern section.

The Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads specification MRTS35 supports the use of high quality recycled products on major projects. Alex Fraser materials have previously been used to build numerous other projects around Brisbane including the CLEM7 Tunnel, Mains and Kessels Road Upgrade, Port of Brisbane, Brisbane Airport – Avis Depot and the Moreton Bay Rail Link.

Alex Fraser Managing Director Peter Murphy said that Alex Fraser would supply more than 20,000 tonnes of recycled aggregates and road base.

“The Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads and its contractors are focused on building a high quality asset with excellent environmental outcomes. The use of recycled materials is a win for road users, a win for tax payers and a win for the environment,” he said.

The use of Alex Fraser materials will result in 171 less truck movements as recycled materials are lighter than virgin quarried materials. This means each truck can carry more material, with an overall cost saving for the project. It will also save 170 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, which is equivalent to saving the electricity usage of 26 households for a year.

To minimise the impact on road users, construction is being done between 8pm and 3am. In order to supply major metropolitan infrastructure projects with recycled content, well located, large scale recycling facilities are essential. The close proximity of the Alex Fraser Nudgee site substantially reduces truck travel distances and road congestion.

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