The Gateway to Bruce Highway Upgrade (G2BU) is one of Queensland’s most significant road infrastructure projects. It upgrades the interchange connecting the Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway at Nudgee, north of Brisbane. The project was delivered under an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) model. Acciona Construction Australia Pty Ltd and Bielby Holdings Pty Ltd delivered the project under an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) model in partnership with Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR).
ABJV engaged Marvel Engineers as a specialist subconsultant to lead the Temporary Traffic Management (TTM) design. The project operated on a live, high-volume motorway corridor. The TTM design scope enabled ABJV to confidently price and schedule construction activities.
Marvel’s engagement covered:
- TTM alignment design
- Traffic Guidance Schemes (TGS)
- Traffic control device layouts
- Verification of the reference design provided by TMR
- Concept design for construction options and alternatives
- Design management across multi-discipline coordination.
Marvel also participated in value engineering, Safety in Design, and Risk and Opportunity workshops throughout the tender period.
Challenges designing temporary traffic management
Designing TTM for an active motorway interchange upgrade presented several complex challenges. Managing live, high-speed traffic required a careful balance of safety, compliance, and constructability. This was achieved under significant time pressure.
Design complexity and a high-speed corridor
The G2BU interchange operates at high traffic volumes across multiple carriageways. TTM staging needed to accommodate all users, including vehicles, freight, pedestrians and cyclists. It also needed to maintain lane widths, speed transitions and emergency access throughout construction.
Evolving standards mid-project
Queensland’s TTM regulatory framework involves multiple overlapping references: the Manual of uniform traffic control devices (MUTCD) Part 3, Queensland Guide to Temporary Traffic Management (QGTTM), Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management (AGTTM), and AS 1742.3. Significant revisions to these standards were introduced in 2025. Design documentation was updated in real time to maintain compliance during the tender phase.
Multi-discipline coordination under tight program
TTM design had to be developed in close coordination with permanent works, geotechnical, utilities, environmental, and temporary works consultants, all operating concurrently across a compressed 16-week tender program. Misalignment between disciplines had direct cost and schedule implications for the tender submission.
Reference design deficiencies
Marvel critically reviewed and verified the functionality of the TMR reference design. Identifying and communicating design risks and deficiencies clearly, without disrupting the tender relationship, required careful professional judgement throughout the engagement.
Outcomes
Marvel applied its structured six-point TTM framework to break down the complexity of the corridor into logical, manageable stages. This included from mapping existing traffic movements and identifying offline construction opportunities, through to basis of design confirmation, switching strategy development, and final design documentation.
On standards compliance, Marvel maintained a live reference matrix tracking applicable requirements across the guides and standards mentioned above,. This enabled the team to quickly assess the impact of 2025 standard revisions and update deliverables accordingly, without disrupting the tender program.
Marvel maintained active coordination with all other tender discipline leads through weekly contractor meetings, targeted design workshops, and proactive engagement prior to key milestone submissions. When Marvel identified deficiencies or risks in the reference design, the team provided clear written advice to ABJV, enabling the construction team to quantify those risks and price the tender with confidence rather than carry unidentified exposure.
Marvel used visualisation tools to communicate TTM staging sequences to the broader project team and key stakeholders. This reduced ambiguity, accelerated approvals, and gave construction planners a clear basis for scheduling and pricing.
Design speed
Although this seems like an obvious step, determining and agreeing your design speed early can be a huge time-saver. Design speed has flow-on impacts to all your geometric elements, but also other traffic related elements such as level of service and spacing of driver ‘decision points’.
Benefits of these outcomes
Marvel’s structured and proactive approach to TTM design delivered measurable value across safety, commercial, and program dimensions for ABJV’s tender submission.
Competitive and de-risked tender pricing
By clearly identifying deficiencies in the reference design and quantifying TTM-related risks, Marvel enabled ABJV to submit a well-informed, competitive tender rather than carrying conservative contingency for unknowns.
Worker and road user safety assured
Marvel designed the TTM staging strategy to optimise offline construction, minimise exposure to live traffic, and maintain emergency access and community connectivity throughout the works, demonstrating directly how our solution addressed safety obligations under Queensland’s WHS legislation and TMR’s TTM standards.
Tender deliverables on time and on program
Marvel’s lean delivery model and proactive coordination approach ensured TTM design deliverables were progressed and issued in line with the 16-week tender program, giving ABJV’s estimating team the information they needed at each pricing milestone.
Strengthened client relationship
Marvel’s performance during the tender phase established a strong working relationship with both Acciona and Bielby, positioning the team well for the design and construction phase engagement that would have followed a successful contract award.
Reach out if Marvel Engineers can help you with your next project.
If you want to learn more about TTM, read our Insights article Engineering Explained: Temporary Traffic Management.