Eastlink the best

EASTLINK has been named Australia’s most outstanding example of construction excellence at the 2009 Australian Construction Achievement Awards last week.
The $2.5 billion project was Australia’s largest road infrastructure project at the time of construction and was completed five months ahead of schedule.
At the annual awards held in Sydney, the Thiess and John Holland project director for Eastlink, Gordon Ralph, accepted the award from Sir Rod Eddington, chairman of Infrastructure Australia.
The chairman of the judging panel, Professor Archie Johnston, said the finalists displayed exceptional quality and functionality, and illustrated excellent delivery performances with all projects completed ahead of schedule and within budget.
“Eastlink was exceptional across all the criteria, in this most difficult judging task,” Professor Johnston said.
The Eastlink project required more than 7 million cubic metres of excavation, and earthworks, 1.3 million tonnes of asphalt, 2 million square metres of pavement, 88 bridges and 17 interchanges.
Consultation with the community resulted in design enhancement and moving of noise walls so that community concerns about proximity and security were met.