Contractors progress the Cross River Rail project

The PULSE consortium have begun the demolition for the Brisbane Transit Centre, marking the transformation of Roma Street to become Queensland’s most significant transport interchange.

Led by CIMIC Group companies, Pacific Partnerships, CPB Contractors, and UGL with international partners DIF, BAM and Ghella, the PULSE Consortium will demolish three buildings over the coming year.

Cross River Rail Minister Kate Jones said the start of demolition on Roma Street is a major milestone for Brisbane’s largest ever infrastructure project.

“The Brisbane Transit Centre must come down to make way for the new underground Cross River Rail station,” she said.

Ms. Jones said demolition would be done progressively, with work already underway on Hotel Jen and structural demolition due to begin on the East Tower in the first quarter of 2020.

“We expect to start bringing down the central Brisbane Transit Centre building from March onwards. It’s easily one of Brisbane’s least loved buildings so it’s great that we can already see signs of progress at Roma Street, as Cross River Rail continues with major construction,” she said.

The Cross River Rail Precincts Delivery Strategy has identified opportunities to revitalise the inner-city land that will be left behind.

“This will give us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leverage billions of dollars’ worth of private sector investment, leading to thousands of new jobs and ensuring Brisbane continues to evolve as a truly world class city.”

In conjunction with the start of demolition the Cross River Rail Project announced its 1000th worker had begun on site.

Maija Bicevskis, the 1000th worker, is a project engineer who has returned home to Queensland specifically to work on Cross River Rail and is working for CPB in the Rail, Integration and Systems Alliance.

Kate Jones said this project will create around 7700 construction jobs including 450 opportunities for apprentices and trainees.

Ms. Bicevskis said she began the process to get herself transferred home from Melbourne as soon as Cross River Rail was announced.

“It’s great to be back in Brisbane, working on a project that is going to change my hometown for the better and really help me develop in my career,” she said.