Bielby-BMD and Acciona-Fulton Hogan awarded Rockhampton Ring Road contracts

After months of delays and funding setbacks, contracts have officially been awarded for construction of the first phase of the Rockhampton Ring Road project. SEE THE PLANS.

Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey, Rockhampton MP Barry O'Rourke and Queensland senator Anthony Chisholm. Picture: Aden Stokes

After months of delays and funding setbacks, contracts have officially been awarded for construction of the first phase of the Rockhampton Ring Road project.

Bielby-BMD Joint Venture and Acciona-Fulton Hogan Joint Venture will start work in late 2023 on the initial phase of the project, having been awarded packages in the north and south of its footprint.

The early works, worth $280 million, will involve the ring road’s connection with the Bruce Highway in the north, while the southern package will focus on the West Rockhampton and Pink Lily areas.

The ring road was thrust into the spotlight in late 2022, when tenders on the $1 billion-plus project blew out by $700 million, forcing government officials to put the brakes on the plan and reassess funding, which prompted community outrage.

The major project has been in the pipeline for several years, and would reduce congestion through the city of Rockhampton while improving freight times for thousands of Queensland businesses moving goods up and down the coast.

Protesters embarked on a convoy to Canberra to express anger over the funding delay, with the Albanese Government then working with the State Government to reassess the profile of the project – particularly where workers were sourced from.

Grantley Jack, Jason Thomasson and Jack Trenaman from the Start Rockhampton Ring Road group in front of the then-newly painted silos at Parkhurst.

The Australian and Queensland governments have committed $1.065 billion to the ring road under the Bruce Highway Upgrade Program, with the Australian Government fronting up $852 million.

Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey on Friday morning said the announcement of contractors was fantastic for jobs and infrastructure in the region.

“We will see these two packages start work by late this year … this is part of a $280M package of work after $80M for early works which we announced late last year which has been ongoing to get the corridor ready,” Minister Bailey said.

“This is an additional $200M under that $280M package, split up between the two contractors who will both get a really chunky share of that, and we’ll see the preparation work underway.

“What this project involves is 17km of new roadway, 18 different bridges, we’ll see 14.5km of new Bruce Highway built as part of the Rocky Ring Road.”

Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey with Rockhampton MP Barry O’Rourke (back left) and Senator Anthony Chisholm (right). Picture: Aden Stokes

Minister Bailey explained how the cost blowouts were addressed, and the plan moving forward.

“Future stages will be negotiated as part of future budgets. The construction market at the moment is running red-hot in terms of costs so we will be aiming to try and bring this project in within its funding envelope and that will be through working with contractors going forward,” he said.

“What we saw was a huge blowout in costs because of a fly-in, fly-out model favoured by the former government which would have meant you’d have to build workers camps and be flying-in and flying-out workers at great cost to get this project done, and that was clearly the wrong way of doing this project and is something we have scrapped.

“We have reprofiled the project so there are more jobs for longer and that they will be Central Queensland workers, and that has brought the cost down.”

A map of the Rockhampton Ring Road from the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Senator Anthony Chisholm said the Rockhampton community had been patient amid 10 years of ‘talk’ about the project.

“We’re really pleased that we could work constructively with the state government to get this project up and running, it is fantastic that it will start this year,” he said.

“I want to thanks Barry O’Rourke (Rockhampton MP) and Brittany Lauga (Keppel MP) for their advocacy on this project, they know it is important to the local community.

Construction on this phase is expected to be completed in the 2025–26 financial year.

Rockhampton Ring Road – New Fitzroy River bridge. PIC: TMR

The northern package – Bielby-BMD Joint Venture

The northern package focuses on the ring road’s connection with the Bruce Highway at the Rockhampton – Yeppoon Road intersection.

A new section of road and embankment will be constructed from the Bruce Highway west to Monier Road, on an alignment between the existing emergency services precinct and the Dreamtime Culture Centre.

New accesses will be constructed for the Dreamtime Cultural Centre, Queensland Ambulance Service and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services precinct.

Upgrades to local roads that will ultimately connect with the ring road, including existing and realigned sections of Boundary Road, McLaughlin Street and Monier Road access.

Rockhampton Ring Road – Bruce Highway and Yeppoon Road connection. PIC: TMR

The southern package – Acciona-Fulton Hogan Joint Venture

Upgrades on Rockhampton – Ridgelands Road will include Canoona Road intersection, the replacement of Lion Creek Bridge, modifications to Osbourne Road and construction of the Osbourne Road-Ridgelands Road roundabout with provision for future connection to the ring road.

The Rockhampton – Ridgelands Road and Nine Mile Road intersection will also be upgraded.

Pre-loading the ring road embankment just north of the connection with the Capricorn Highway, to accommodate the future Fitzroy to Gladstone Pipeline.