Jobs boost as Lendlease wins Northern connector major contract
The major contract to design and build the 15.5-kilometre Northern Connector project has been awarded to preferred contractor Lendlease, paving the way for hundreds of jobs for Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
Major works on the $985 million project are expected to begin within months, delivering about 480 jobs a year during construction.
Through the tendering process, Lendlease was required to detail how it would maximise the opportunities for local workers and businesses in its supply-chain to capitalise on this almost billion dollar investment.
Approximately 6,500 tonnes of reinforcing steel and approximately 1000 tonnes of structural steel for the project are expected to be sourced from Arrium in Whyalla.
Background
The Northern Connector is part of the 78-kilometre North-South Corridor, stretching from Gawler in the north to Old Noarlunga in the south.
The Northern Connector project will include:
- Four road interchanges
o Northern Interchange at Port Wakefield Road/Northern Expressway
o Waterloo Corner Interchange at Port Wakefield Road/Waterloo Corner Road
o Bolivar Interchange at Port Wakefield Road/Bolivar Road
o Southern Interchange at Port River Expressway, South Road Superway and Salisbury Highway Connector - A motorway with three lanes in each direction, with a posted speed of 110kmh
- A 16km long, three metre wide separated shared used path for cyclists and pedestrians that will connect to the existing 23km long path adjacent to the Northern Expressway.
Major works are expected to start in the third quarter of this year and the project is scheduled for completion in December 2019.
The Australian Government is committing $788 million to the project, with $197 million from the South Australian Government.
Quotes attributable to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan.
The Northern Connector will provide enormous productivity benefits for freight travelling between Adelaide and the northern, western and eastern parts of South Australia, as well as to and from other states.
The six-lane motorway is expected to significantly improve freight access to Port Adelaide and the industrial areas of Adelaide’s north and north-west, bypassing six sets of traffic lights.
It will also deliver enormous benefits for the 52,000 vehicles a day expected to use it when completed.
The State Government’s Northern Connector Jobs Taskforce has been working closely with local contractors and businesses, councils and education providers to ensure that at least half of the 480 jobs supported by the project each year go to locals.
This target is on top of the regular requirement that 90 percent of labour hours go to SA.
Already the pre-construction projects, such as embankment works and an associated intersection upgrade, have provided jobs for dozens of local workers.
Source: News Release, Government of South Australia, 01, June, 2016