A Detailed Report on the Hexham Relief Road Construction Project

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Hexham Relief Road project, initiated by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) in the Hunter Valley, Australia. The project involved constructing five relief road tracks, along with associated infrastructure, to alleviate congestion in the coal rail network. The report details the project's context, including the company's characteristics and the project's scope, such as the construction of relief roads, earthworks, and ancillary infrastructure. It identifies key challenges like hydrology, flora and fauna impact, noise, traffic management, and heritage concerns. The report highlights innovations, such as the construction of relief roads for sustainable development and flood-resistant infrastructure. It also discusses the project's outcomes, including its successful completion within budget and time, improved efficiency in coal transportation, and increased network reliability. The report concludes by suggesting potential improvements, particularly in environmental planning and assessment, to further enhance the project's sustainability and address environmental concerns.

Construction project in Australia
Construction Project in Australia
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Construction project in Australia
Executive Summary
Hexham Relief Road project proposed by Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) for the development
of 5 relief road tracks along with the connected road and rail network within Hexham in the Hunter
Valley. The project consists of the 5 Up Relief Roads to the west of the active Down Main along with the
Up Main as well as Up Coal then the installation of the new signal infrastructure. The access tracks for
the vehicle then the land acquisition along with the upgrading of the active rail transportation as well as
the public utilities are also required along with the Ancillary infrastructure and Earthwork. The issues
that are being faced by the project are; Hydrology Flora and Fauna Noise and vibration Traffic Management Topography, geology as well as soils Non-Indigenous Heritage Indigenous heritage Contaminated land along with Hazardous materials Visual Air quality Waste Minimisation Greenhouse gases as well as energy efficiency Planning, land use along with property Social Impact Cumulative impact
The Hexham Relief Road project took almost 12 months for the successful completion of the project. The
outcome of the proposed project is that the five new relief roads help to clear the congestion of the coal
trains that are travelling within the world's largest coal export port.
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Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Company Name and Characteristics..................................................................................................3
1.2 Project Name and Description...........................................................................................................3
2. THE PROBLEMS...................................................................................................................................4
3. THE INNOVATIONS.............................................................................................................................5
4. OUTCOME.............................................................................................................................................5
5. POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT ON THE INNOVATION........................................................................6
6. CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................................7
7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.....................................................................................................................8
8. REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................9
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1. INTRODUCTION
The aim of the paper is to discuss the sustainability within the construction project in the area. To
effectively discuss the sustainability program, the Hexham Relief Road project proposed by Australian
Rail Track Corporation has been selected. The paper discusses the various problems along with the
innovation that has been developed within the project. The paper also discusses the results along with the
possible changes within the innovation for maintaining the successful development of the project.
1.1 Company Name and Characteristics
Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is the statutory corporation that is owned by the government
of Australia. It was founded in the year 1998, and they serve the area of all mainlands in the Australian
states (Majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au. 2020). Revenue of this corporation is considered to be
almost 830.6 million Australian dollars, and they have more than 1100 employees. This corporation does
not operate any train, but they provide a train as well as maintain the infrastructures that are required to
operate the trains to run on. The tracks that are being controlled by this corporation are located in almost
all states in Australia. The organisation has developed a project with Hunter Valley Coal Chain for the
construction of the five UP Relief Road that has been located at the Hexham. There are numerous other
rail projects that have been developed by the corporation for the betterment of the country (Gardener,
2015). This corporation has performed its projects in the area like Victoria than in Western Australia
along with the place like New South Wales and even in Queensland. The organisation did not control any
of the narrow gauge track in the Queensland and nor they control any of the broad gauge track in
Victoria.
1.2 Project Name and Description
The name of the project is Hexham Relief Road that was proposed by ARTC for the development of five
relief road tracks along with the associated infrastructure within Hexham in the Hunter Valley
(Majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au. 2020). The project is entirely located within the town of
Sandgate and the Woodberry that is almost 176 kilometres by rail from the North of Sydney. The key
workings of the project are as follows;
 The 5 Relief Roads constructed to the west of the existing Down Main along with the Up Main as
well as Up Coal
 mechanism of the new signal transportation for the 5 relief roads
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 The Earthworks is approximate of 45000 cubic metres which eventually include the track
formation along with the drainage as well as some of the minor structures
(Majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au. 2020)
 Then Ancillary transportation which embrace the vehicle admission track then the temporary
construction compound along with the stockpiles sites (Raynor, 2019)
 The access track for the vehicle then the land acquisition along with the upgrading of the existing
rail road and rail network as well as the community utilities are also required
Moreover, it can be seen that the approximate cost of the project is around 90 million dollars. The time
limit for the completion of the project is considered to be of 16 months for the construction (Doyle, and
Watson, 2012).
2. THE PROBLEMS
The primary issue that has been faced by the proposed project are;
 Hydrology: The proposed project is by the side of the Hunter River, which has a extended
history of flood and also the project has experienced the effects of the flood.
 Flora and Fauna: The project area is positioned over the small segment of SEPP 14 lowland
which might get permanent as well as temporary impact due to the construction which will cause
the loss of fauna habitat (Majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au. 2020).
 Noise and vibration: The residences that are present on the corner of the New England Highway
along with the Woodlands are highly affected due to the construction noises.
 Traffic Management: The traffic in the construction are mainly generated due to the heavy
vehicles transporting ballast then the railway sleepers and much more, which create a huge
problem for the area of the proposed project (Talebian, Savelsbergh, and Moffiet, 2016).
 Topography, geology as well as soils: The project area is positioned 200 metres from the Hunter
River, and also it is close to SEPP 14 Wetland, and for that, the construction has the potential to
create the disturbance in the geology and soil of that area (Synergy. 2020).
 Non-Indigenous Heritage: The proposed project creates the direct or the indirect disturbances to
the items of the heritage significances at the time of construction.
The secondary issues that are being faced within the proposed project are;
 Indigenous heritage
 Contaminated land along with Hazardous materials
 Visual
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 Air quality
 Waste Minimisation
 Greenhouse gases as well as energy efficiency
 Planning, land use along with property
 Social Impact
 Cumulative impact
3. THE INNOVATIONS
The coal mining is considered to be the primary source of economy for the Hunter Valley, and the
proposed project is to provide suitable railway track for coal mining. This will eventually help the coal
mining process to deal with future congestion on the coal rail network system. The project is to construct
five different relief roads for the coal mining process, and the length of these tracks is considered to be
almost 2000 to 2500 metres (Majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au. 2020). Furthermore, it can be seen
that the project is intended for the alleviation of the existing congestion within the coal rail network at the
Hunter Valley. It will eventually allow the coal mining with the potential option as well as the capacity
for the re-sequencing of the coal trains that are being headed towards the port of the Newcastle. This
project is quite innovative as this intends to construct the relief road with sustainable development in the
process. The construction is associated with the various processes and the working function for the
development of suitable road tracks that allow the project to perform their activity and provide the relief
road to the coal network system of Hunter Valley (Baker, and McGowan, 2013). The new railway will
eventually divert the trains from the Coal Main to the Relief Road and after that again back to the Coal
Main. It would be effectively built on the platform that is almost above the 1:100 years of the flood level.
4. OUTCOME
The Hexham Relief Road project took almost 12 months for the successful completion of the project. It
can be seen that the five new relief railway tracks were eventually completed within the time limit and
also within the expected budget (Majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au. 2020). The outcome of the
proposed project is that the five new relief roads help to clear the congestion of the coal trains that are
travelling within the world's largest coal export port. This project helps the coal miners to move the coal
efficiently from the port to the far areas with a better process as compared to the previous system.
Moreover, it can be seen that with the successful completion of the project, the working function for the
staff members has been increased. It is due to the fact that the operation employees after this project are
having more options for re-sequencing the trains as well as they have to manage the movement of the
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train within the event of the coal chain breakdown (Train, 2014). The maintenance of the entire system in
the relief road will effectively increase the network reliability for the coal railway network system. This
track is more than 2 kilometres, and they eventually hold the trains with 2-3 locomotives that are up to 92
wagons.
The primary issues that are being faced by the project are eventually developed with some protective
measures and maintain the sustainability of the area. The measures considered during the construction of
the project help to maintain flora and fauna of that area and also the hydrology system of that area
(Majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au. 2020). The measured dynamic deflection is highly associated
with the process of using the Pile Driving Monitor technology that also at the selected location which is
within the range of 6.9mm to 7.3mm for the Trains with the 30 T axles (Pokharel, Hespe, and Mills,
2012). These are some of the most effective technology that has been developed within the formation of
the project for the betterment of the coal railway system. The construction of the railway system
effectively allows the government and the coal mining railway track to develop their business process and
also deliver the products to the vast area without any congestion that previously took place within the coal
mining area (McConville, 2013). The coal tailing stockpiles were found around the site for comprising the
gravel to the cobble size with the intermixed siltstone as well as the clay and the sands. The project
provides an effective view of the development process of the firm.
5. POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT ON THE INNOVATION
The construction project faced numerous issues regarding their environmental issues for the sustainable
development of the process. The improvement of the innovation is required within this process for
maintaining the sustainable activity of the construction project and also to maintain flora and fauna along
with the soil and topology of the area (Alliance, 2012). It can be understood from the various situation
faced within the construction project that the development of effective value along with the suitable
development of the technology and the building process is highly essential for the project. The innovative
measures in this process are to develop the relief road for the coal mining area in Hunter Valley, and this
could be eventually improved by providing the valuable aspect and the suitable working function within
the market (Artc.com.au. 2020). The congestion that was created within the railway system of the coal
mining process was maintained with the help of the innovative action performed in the project.
In the project, it can be seen that environmental planning, as well as the assessment process, is highly
effective for developing the area (Hunter Jr et al., 2017). The state minister and the project development
process effectively provide the view that the water is maintaining process along with the noise and even
the traffic management to enhance the process within the process (SteelGuru. 2020). In this process, the
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groundwater investigation, along with the flood assessment is highly essential for maintaining the process
within the area and also for developing the successful outcome of the project (Globalsynthetics.com.au.
2020). The preservation, as well as the protection of flora and fauna within the area, is highly essential for
getting the sustainable development within the area along with the construction project. The using of
effective technology that would reduce the noise as well as vibration during the construction is also
developed with the help of the effective, innovative program.
6. CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the paper that the five New Relief Road project in the Hunter Valley is one of
the most effective and innovative construction projects for maintaining the congestion in the coal mining
area of Hunter Valley. It is also concluded from the paper that the use of the effective, innovative system
has been developed within the project process for maintaining the sustainability of that area by preserving
flora and fauna of that place along with the development of hydrology of that area. The success of the
project is highly associated with the maintenance of the sustainability program within the area for the
development of relief road in the coal railway tracks.
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7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all those who provided me with the possibility to
complete this report. I am very thankful to the Director-General of the project for providing me with the
information that is associated with the project. Furthermore, I would also like to acknowledge with much
appreciation the crucial role of the staff who gave permission to use all the required equipment and the
necessary materials to complete the task.
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8. REFERENCES
Alliance, U.H.V., 2012. PROPOSED HEXHAM RELIEF ROADS, HEXHAM, NSW REMEDIAL
ACTION PLAN.
Artc.com.au. 2020. Reducing coal train congestion at Newcastle Port – ARTC. [online] Available at:
https://www.artc.com.au/2013/10/25/2013-10-25-170423/ [Accessed 16 Apr. 2020].
Baker, R.G. and McGowan, S.A., 2013. Geographic information system planning for future sea-level rise
using evidence and response mechanisms from the past: a case study from the Lower Hunter Valley, New
South Wales. Journal of Coastal Research, 29(1), pp.118-132.
Doyle, M. and Watson, J., 2012. Hexham Train Support Facility Air Quality Assessment.
Gardener, R., 2015. The successful delivery of a Smarter Alliance Program for ARTC: the achievement
of engaged people, powerful innovation and high performance on the Hexham Relief Roads project.
In AusRAIL PLUS 2015, Doing it Smarter. People, Power, Performance, 24-26 November 2015,
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Globalsynthetics.com.au. 2020. [online] Available at:
https://globalsynthetics.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Global-Synthetics-Geonews-Issue-9.pdf
[Accessed 16 Apr. 2020].
Hunter Jr, M.L., Acuña, V., Bauer, D.M., Bell, K.P., Calhoun, A.J., Felipe-Lucia, M.R., Fitzsimons, J.A.,
González, E., Kinnison, M., Lindenmayer, D. and Lundquist, C.J., 2017. Conserving small natural
features with large ecological roles: a synthetic overview. Biological conservation, 211, pp.88-95.
Majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au. 2020. [online] Available at:
<https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?
AttachRef=SSI-4992%2120190224T150246.311%20GMT> [Accessed 16 April 2020].
Majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au. 2020. [online] Available at:
https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?AttachRef=SSI-
4992%2120190224T150245.191%20GMT [Accessed 16 Apr. 2020].
McConville, A., 2013. The ecology of the east-coast free-tailed bat (Mormopterus norfolkensis) in the
Hunter region. PhD. University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW.
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Pokharel, H., Hespe, I. and Mills, K., 2012. Building new bridges on the Hunter Expressway over
abandoned coal mines. In Australasian Structural Engineering Conference 2012: The past, present and
future of Structural Engineering (p. 642). Engineers Australia.
Raynor, K., 2019. Assembling an innovative social housing project in Melbourne: mapping the potential
for social innovation. Housing Studies, 34(8), pp.1263-1285.
SteelGuru. 2020. State significant rail plans for Hexham. [online] Available at:
https://steelguru.com/coal/state-significant-rail-plans-for-hexham/367314 [Accessed 16 Apr. 2020].
Synergy. 2020. Hexham Relief Roads | Synergy Resource Management. [online] Available at:
https://synergyresource.com/project/hexham-relief-roads [Accessed 16 Apr. 2020].
Talebian, M., Savelsbergh, M. and Moffiet, C., 2016. A new rail access charging policy: Hunter Valley
coal chain case study. Transport Policy, 46, pp.101-108.
Train, N.L.T., 2014. Construction Aboriginal Heritage Management Plan.
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