Coates completes major traffic barrier installation on M7-M12 Integration Project for John Holland
Partnering with principal contractor John Holland on the M7-M12 Integration Project, Coates has completed one of the largest traffic barrier installations ever seen in NSW. In less than three months, Coates installed more than 45,000 metres of temporary traffic barriers across 40 kilometres of roadwork for this major road network upgrade in Western Sydney.
According to Jarrad Whitby, Coates National Manager – Traffic & Events, Coates’ ability to deliver at speed and at scale was key to the success of the traffic management project.
“Given the breadth and experience of our team and the size of our fleet, Coates was uniquely positioned to meet the demands of this project. With the largest traffic barrier fleet in the country, including the BG800 Steel Barrier range used here on the M7-M12 Integration Project, our ability to complete the installation quickly was crucial in allowing John Holland to begin work immediately,” says Jarrad.
“Our end-to-end approach, which includes project management, supply and installation, demobilisation and transportation logistics, contract management, safety management and fleet management, allows us to streamline operations, enhance project efficiency, minimise downtime and optimise resource utilisation.”
Creating a safe working environment
John Holland is leading a significant scope of works which includes the construction of the M7-M12 Interchange; the Elizabeth Drive connection; and the Westlink M7 Widening. Coates is supporting all three elements, providing a comprehensive traffic management and equipment solution to keep workers and motorists safe.
Despite operating in a live traffic environment with limited space for installing and removing barriers, Coates has created a safe working environment and improved the flow of traffic around the construction zones. With approximately 7,000 hours of work completed, Coates has reported no injuries or recordable safety incidents during its operations to date.
“Coates is meticulous about safety,” says Jarrad. “Our traffic management solutions align with industry best practice and are designed to meet customers’ legal requirements. This means all the temporary barriers deployed on this project are MASH (Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware) compliant, rigorously tested to comply with the AS/NZS 3845 and approved for use on TfNSW Classified Roads. We were also able to achieve a deflection of less than 200mm, which was a major requirement for John Holland to meet their barrier requirements.”
Improving efficiency and sustainability with re-usable anchors
Coates collaborated with John Holland and a trusted Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to improve sustainability by implementing RoadLoc Anchors, an innovative removable and reusable anchor system.
Using this system, Coates were able to ramp up installation, installing 2,300m of barrier overnight in a single 7-hour shift.
“Compared to traditional threaded rods, with RoadLoc there’s no need for pre-coating or cleaning the anchors before use. The anchors are shorter for ease of installation and reduced drilling time, and they can be removed with just hand tools – saving significant time and labour costs,” explains Jarrad.
“These features have already delivered value to John Holland, because of the need to continually move the barriers along the road as work progresses. Being able to re-use these anchors is also reducing the project’s environmental impact, and it will improve the long-term cost-efficiency of future large-scale traffic management solutions.”
Meeting the diverse needs of a major project
To deliver on a tight construction schedule, John Holland needed a service provider that could source the right equipment, provide the right advice and understand the demands of a major infrastructure project.
“Coates’ full-service approach has allowed us to implement a safe, efficient and effective transport management solution, and to streamline our project delivery,” says Dan O’Hanlon, Project Manager M7 North, John Holland. “By introducing products like RoadLoc, Coates has also helped us to find new efficiencies, while maintaining a high standard for safety and quality.”
Construction is expected to take three years, with all routes due to open to traffic by the end of 2026.
The project in numbers
- 35,000m of BG800 steel barriers
- 10,000m of concrete traffic barriers
- 1,000m+ of Armorzone MASH TL2 plastic water-filled barriers
- 80+ barrier end treatments (gating & non-gating)
- 15+ CCTV cameras
- 500sqm+ of ground coverage
- Over 900sqm of portable buildings
- 24 x trailer-mounted toilets
- 2 x caravan site offices
- Twice weekly servicing by Coates’ waste tanker fleet
- 20+ rollers (pad, smooth & multi tyre) – from 8t to 20t
- Managing 2,700sqm of customer-owned site accommodation (storage, modifications, transport & installation)
- Plus general hire items, VMS, Speed Advisory Signs, lighting towers & temporary fencing
