The first stage of the $222 million Mickleham Road Upgrade in Victoria has seen the use of Australian-first technology which aims to improve the sustainability and reduce the carbon footprint of major works on the project.
Major works on Stage One of the Mickleham Road Upgrade and will involve building extra lanes in each direction on Mickleham Road between Somerton Road and Dellamore Boulevard, along with new traffic lights, intersection upgrades, and better walking and cycling connections.
The Australian-first technology being used as part of the works is known as the ZWS Patriot, a zero-waste management system that recycles waste, allowing it to be reused on other parts of the project.
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It filters and re-uses waste from non-destructive digging to ensure there is zero waste or landfill during construction. This process involves the ZWS Patriot filtering the waste and separating dirt from water, allowing the water to be re-used on site, and the recycled dirt to be used as topsoil for landscaping at the end of the project.
The energy saved from just 1 standard load processed through the ZWS Patriot is equal to 55 kilograms of coal burned, 47 litres of petrol consumed or 13,381 smartphone charges. The environmental benefits of this ground-breaking technology include a net carbon reduction per load of 88 per cent, re-use of water, fewer truck movements and the better tracking of waste.
Stage One of the Mickleham Road Upgrade is expected to be complete in mid-2025.