The Bunbury Outer Ring Road (BORR) will provide a 27-kilometre transport corridor linking Forrest Highway to Bussell Highway in Western Australia (WA), enabling drivers to avoid 13 sets of traffic lights, while improving freight efficiency and road safety. The $852 million project is being delivered in three sections of free-flowing highway, with construction completion scheduled for 2024.

The BORR project is hailed as a best practise sustainability example in accordance with the Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s (IS Council) IS Rating Scheme.

BG&E adopted the role of Service Delivery Manager for the single largest regional planning and development project by Main Roads WA, undertaking project development with joint venture partner GHD and leading the Integrated Project Team (IPT) to:

• Manage all aspects of the project development phase within agreed time, cost and quality constraints.
• Optimise project outcomes and gain project support through engagement with community and stakeholders.
• Manage and undertake all necessary field investigations.
• Prepare and submit documentation to support environmental approvals for project delivery.
• Develop an ultimate planning concept to meet project objectives.
• Define the scope of the project to be built within budget to maximise return on investment.

BG&E adopted a formalised decision-making process for the IPT since the commencement of the project, in accordance with the ISCA framework. Four workstreams, representing sustainability, environmental, technical and community considerations were integrated throughout the project, informed by materiality assessments for each of these areas. Workstreams provided their input on project decisions via an integrated development tool, and undertook further collaboration on major decisions involving several workstreams, where required. Each workstream also informed assessment criteria for the project.

In addition to enhanced project outcomes in relation to sustainability, environmental, technical and community aspects, the ISCA aligned process also supported project approvals with robust insights.

An adaptable, scalable project team structure met the project’s growing environmental and political needs, most notably in BORR South where, in response to environmental regulation changes and overall community expectations, reconsideration of the corridor was required.

The project planning and development works were completed within 20 months, enabling construction procurement in mid-2020.

BG&E also provided waterways assessment for the BORR project, which included:

• Major waterways analysis for bridges over Collie, Ferguson, and Preston Rivers.
• Hydrologic analysis to establish design flows for ungauged, rural catchments.
• Two-dimensional hydraulic modelling to establish concept culvert sizes across the project.
• Impact assessment throughout project area.
• Concept bridge and culvert sizing for transverse drainage concept, which received in principal approval to facilitate the project progressing to the detailed design phase.

The BORR project will enhance access to Bunbury-Geographe and the wider south west region of WA, supporting economic growth and integrated development of the region.