The sod turning ceremony of the Toowoomba highway was held on April 15 in Queensland, Australia, and it was attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Chester; State Minister for Transport, Baily; Toowoomba Mayor, Antonio; TMR Deputy Director General, Vass; Nexus Chairmen, Witheriff; Nexus CEO, Hagan; and Western Waka Waka, Elders.
The event marked the start of the construction phase of the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing project participated by Cintra, in consortium with Plenary Group and Acciona Concesiones. The act included a welcome to country ceremony, speeches of the main attendees mentioned, a sod turning and a burial of a time capsule that will be opened at the end of the contract 28 years from now.
“A sod turning ceremony has long symbolized the start of construction works. A time when preparation transitions into works on the ground. As this is Cintra’s first project in Australia it is important that we fulfil our commitments, deliver a world class piece of infrastructure, create a greater connection with the community and leave a lasting legacy for years to come”, said John Hagan.
“The Toowoomba Second Range Crossing project is critical to future economic development in this region and is set to increase regional economic activity by an estimated $2.4 billion over the next 30 years”, added.
The concession will have a duration of 25 years from the opening to traffic, planned for late 2018. This project includes the construction of 41 kilometers of new highway and involves a beltway in the city of Toowoomba, which will notably improve traffic conditions in the region. It will help to reduce congestion in Toowoomba Central Business District, diverting heavy vehicles from local streets, improving efficiency and driver safety.
