Townsville Connection Road Stage 2 & 4

Townsville Connection Road (TCR), known locally as Stuart Drive, is a key strategic route supporting the connectivity of Northern Australia. The TCR Stage 2 & 4 project involves the carriageway duplication from Kokoda Street to north of Viles, construction of a duplicated upstream bridge over the Ross River, and intersection upgrades to Tyack and Viles Streets. Stuart Drive connects with the Bruce highway and William Angliss Drive corridor, a crucial route for access to employment and education hubs. 

This project has multiple complexities that need to be overcome. These include safety upgrades for all road users, especially cyclists and pedestrians, transport inefficiencies and reliabilities, consideration of several Public Utility Plan interfaces, and consideration of the route’s role as an emergency evacuation route.

Albem Operations has appointed The APP Group to assist with Project Management support services for the Townsville Connection Road upgrade which encompasses dual lanes between University Road and Bowen Road Bridge. The project includes upgrades at 3 intersections: Gartrell Drive, Mervyn Crossman Drive/Fairfield Waters Drive and Kokoda Street. This will improve safety and time-travel reliability for the 24,000 vehicles that use this route daily. There will be upgrades to the pedestrian and bike crossings for improved safety for all road users and improved connections to a refurbished underpass pathway. 

Image credits: Department of Transport and Main Roads