In an Australian-first, safety barriers made from old tyres are helping protect hundreds of workers building North East Link and saving tonnes of waste from going to landfill.
The barriers’ delivery is thanks to tunnelling contractor Spark, which has installed more than 220 Saferoads Rubber T-Lok temporary barriers across the project – with more than half of these in Bulleen.
From Watsonia to Bulleen, a huge amount of work is underway to build North East Link – with more than 5000 workers already working on the project that will take 15,000 trucks off local roads and slash travel times by 35 minutes.
Keeping traffic moving during construction is a priority, and safety barriers between the road and site are crucial to keeping everyone safe. The T-Lok barriers are also being used within construction sites to separate workers from heavy machinery and haul roads.
Almost 56 million tyres are discarded nationally every year, but just 10% are recycled. For every 1km of the barrier produced, 12 tonnes of recycled tyres are used - equivalent to 2000 tyres – supporting local jobs by building a sustainable and thriving circular economy.
Researchers from the University of Melbourne also found by using a mixture of recycled crumb rubber from end-of-life tyres and concrete, the T-Lok barriers are more flexible and durable – improving crash outcomes.
This latest North East Link initiative is just one way Victoria’s Big Build is driving significant change in the reuse of waste material – through ecologiQ and the implementation of the Recycled First Policy.
North East Link is expected to open in 2028 and is jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments.