Major Transportation Study Win

MELBOURNE, VIC — February 22, 2010 — URS will help shape the future of one of Melbourne’s busiest and most congested thoroughfares after being awarded a major portion of the Victorian State Government’s Hoddle Street Study.

Hoddle Street is critical to north-south traffic movements in inner Melbourne and the flow of the Eastern freeway traffic to and from the Central Business District. The challenge for URS will be to identify ways to reduce congestion and improve transport flow whilst considering the needs and safety of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.

The two-year planning study will include detailed investigation of a number of different integrated transport options, including grade separating key junctions to improve the operation of Hoddle Street, as well as opportunities to enhance the efficiency of public transport.

URS were awarded $3.8m and will conduct investigations to understand the feasibility of various transport solutions while considering the complex social, environmental and economic issues. The study will also aim to identify key issues relating to public transport efficiency and reliability, land use and transport planning, safety, local amenity and urban design, pedestrian networks and crossings, as well as bicycle routes.

Hoddle Street links two of Melbourne’s major freeways (CityLink and Eastern Freeway), runs adjacent to a suburban train line and is intersected by three tram lines within well-established residential and retail areas.

The study will be conducted within the context of the wider Melbourne transport network as a component of the State Government’s $38b Victorian Transport Plan.

For further details, please contact:
Salena Brunsdon
Senior Marketing Coordinator
URS
Phone: + 61 3 8699 7725
Fax: +61 3 8699 7550
Email: salena_brunsdon@urscorp.com