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Keeping Brisbane’s buses moving

At a glance

The Northern Transitway is helping improve the safety, capacity and reliability of Brisbane’s northern public transport network in QLD.

Delivered along Gympie Road between Kedron and Chermside, the project created targeted bus priority on one of Brisbane’s key transport corridors. The works included a dedicated bus lane, accessible bus stops, new traffic signals at Gympie Road and Boothby Street, a right-turn lane and U-turn facility, and the removal of unsignalised right-turn movements.

The result is a more efficient, accessible and reliable corridor for bus passengers, while supporting safer and smoother journeys for road users. For the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, the project provided a cost-effective way to strengthen public transport connectivity and support high-frequency bus services in Brisbane’s growing northern suburbs.

The Challenge

Delivering major transport upgrades on a busy urban road requires careful planning, fast decisions and strong coordination.

Gympie Road carries high traffic volumes, which limited available work areas and required construction to be carefully staged to keep people moving. Much of the work also needed to be delivered at night, creating a need for rapid issue resolution so the program could stay on track.

The project also involved a high level of interaction with public utility plant, including ageing water and sewer assets. These services added complexity to design coordination, construction staging and risk management, with the potential to affect cost, program and continuity of essential services. Public transport operations were another key consideration. The project needed to maintain safe passenger access, minimise disruption to bus services and support timetable reliability during construction, while also managing impacts for drivers, pedestrians, nearby businesses and the broader community.

Our solution

RP Infrastructure provided contract administration and verification services, helping the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads manage delivery risk, maintain momentum and achieve strong outcomes for the community.

We mobilised a team of 7 administration and verification personnel, including senior staff, to provide 24-hour coverage during the works. This gave the project the support needed to respond quickly to issues identified during night works, including poor subgrade conditions and public utility plant conflicts. By enabling problems to be reviewed and resolved promptly, we helped keep the contractor moving and reduced the risk of delays.

We worked closely with the contractor and design consultant to identify and minimise impacts to public utility plant. Through early coordination, shared reviews and practical problem-solving, we helped refine design details, staging and construction methodologies before issues could affect delivery. This supported fewer service disruptions, reduced utility relocation requirements, improved safety and lowered the risk of claims.

We also helped optimise traffic management planning based on site observations and construction needs. By maximising available lane closures where appropriate, we supported more efficient delivery while reducing disruption to the travelling public.

Our collaborative approach also helped bring public transport stakeholders into constructability reviews and traffic staging discussions. This supported safe passenger access, clear temporary wayfinding, continuity of bus operations and a smoother transition to permanent infrastructure. Through proactive administration, verification and coordination, we helped the client manage complexity, reduce risk and deliver a safer, more reliable transport corridor for Brisbane’s northern suburbs.

“On a busy corridor like Gympie Roard, success comes down to a proactive communication and fast, practical decision-making. Our team helped keep the project moving while reducing risk for the client, contractor and community,”

Anthony Burrows, Director