A joint venture (JV) of Bielby Holdings, JF Hull, and Albem Operations has won a contract for the AUD400M ($301.6M) Ipswich Motorway upgrade project in Queensland, Australia.

Under the contract, the Bielby Hull Albem JV will design and construct the first phase of the upgrade along a 3km stretch between Granard Rd, Rocklea, and Oxley Rd, Oxley.

Queensland premier Annastaci Palaszczuk said: “I'm pleased to announce Stage 1 of the Ipswich Motorway upgrade between Rocklea and Darra is one step closer to construction.

“The Ipswich Motorway is currently a major source of frustration for more than 85,000 motorists who use this section of the motorway daily, including up to 12,000 trucks.

“This project will not only improve safety and travel times for motorists; it will support 470 direct jobs which is great news for local workers and business.”

Paul Fletcher, federal minister for urban infrastructure, said: “This major infrastructure project will upgrade the Ipswich Motorway from four to six lanes along a three kilometre stretch between Rocklea and Oxley and delivers on a commitment made by the federal government.”

Work on first phase of the upgrade is expected to commence later this year, while completion is scheduled for 2020. The project is being equally financed by the Australian government and the Queensland government.

* Data provided by Timetric's Construction Intelligence Center.