With the weather warming up, the 2015/16 road construction and maintenance program will soon get underway, with the letting of the first of a number of important tenders to kick off another hectic summer construction season
I am very pleased that of seven tenders awarded to date for this season, five have gone to Tasmanian companies. And of the total project value of $33.1 million, $31.1 million – or 94% – has gone to Tasmanian businesses.
We continue to work closely with our Tasmanian-based civil construction industry to help them compete strongly for these important infrastructure projects.
The tenders let include general road resurfacing, a road improvement project on the Lyell Highway, replacing the St Pauls River Bridge at Avoca, duplicating a section of the Bass Highway between Birralee Main Road and Exton, and general pavement marking. Sealing work will also soon resume on uncompleted roadworks on the Midland Highway from last summer.
Further tenders totalling almost $130 million for this season’s new construction projects will also be let over coming months
I urge motorists to exercise patience and care, and obey all temporary road signs, when they come into contact with road works. These road works are short-term pain for long-term gain, and we look forward to a repeat of last year’s goodwill expressed by so many motorists in dealing with the effects of the construction projects.
The Liberal Government’s long-term goal is to duplicate the Midland Highway, and I welcome yesterday’s comments by Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten that he too, along with Bryan Green it seems, supports our position of seeing the highway eventually duplicated, but made much safer in the near-term.
Contract ($m) Contractor
Pavement resurfacing north 10.3 Venarchie*
Pavement resurfacing south 11.0 Downer*
Lyell Highway Pavement Rehabilitation 1.2 Andrew Walter Constructions*
St Pauls River Bridge 4.6 VEC Civil Engineering Pty Ltd*
Bass Highway – Birralee Main Road to Exton Roadworks 4.0 Shaw Contracting*
Pavement Marking 2015/16 – North 1.0 Supalux
Pavement Marking 2015/16 – South 1.0 Supalux
* = Tasmanian companies.