The WestConnex M4-M5 Link Tunnel project has been a much-needed upgrade for Sydney. It is easy to see why it is such a long and time-consuming project. At Rapid Automatic Access, we were brought in to manage both pedestrian and vehicle traffic, however, this did not come without its challenges.

For pedestrian safety, we supplied & installed 10 yellow pedestrian safety gates to maintain safety when trucks were coming to and from the site for the M4 -M5 motorway upgrade. We also installed flashing lights to warn pedestrians when gates were closing. Safety photo beams were installed across the pathways to prevent closure on pedestrian traffic. The pedestrian gates were used in tandem to create a safe zone in front of the site entrances in 5 locations. These were then connected to the boom gates controlling the large construction vehicles entering and exiting the tunnels for the M4 M5. Overall, we provided staff training on how to use and maintain the equipment too.

To help control the vehicle traffic, we supplied & installed 5 high duty automatic vehicle barriers to maintain a safe and controlled environment. Inground safety sensors were installed to automatically pick up vehicles when in range of the boom gates to prevent operation of the gates. We also integrated radio frequency remote controls so that security staff could remotely control the gates, which created so much efficiency for them.

This was a challenging installation which pushed us to provide a creative solution for keeping the public safe and the efficiency of the egress of site vehicles. The first challenge was to find a solution for the operation of the system without running cables in the ground, due to site access restrictions. Due to our impeccable relationship with a range of suppliers, Rapid Automatic Access was able to source a wireless interface product that would solve the issue without the need to run excess cables across the site. Not only did this solution solve the problem, it was also sourced and delivered to site the same day, where our team designed a whole new system using these products to offer the best solution to the client.

Every site or location has its restrictions regarding the general public, traffic access, or dangers local to the area. This busy site was no different. The main road adjacent to many of the site entrances would pose a safety issue whilst working near it, if a barrier area or road closure could not be put in place. Due to this some areas could only be worked in at restricted times, and this posed a challenge to mobilise our team in the most effective time efficient manner to keep to the deadlines promised.

This high pressure, time sensitive environment was no issue for our well organised team. All of these pressures were solved, and goals achieved through the constant and effective communication between Rapid Automatic Access, the client and subcontractors on site, to ensure the smooth running of the installation.

At Rapid Automatic Access, we pride ourselves on solving the most complex and challenging projects – within time and within budget. Contact us today if you need help with your next project.