Major Flooding at Cross River Rail Site in Roma St After 130-Year-Old Water Main Accidentally Drilled Into

The Cross River Rail site at Roma St was temporarily flooded after crews accidentally drilled into a 130-year-old water main, causing a significant water leak.



Footage has surfaced showing the Roma St construction site flooded after the water main burst, leaving the area looking more like a water park than a rail site. The incident occurred during ongoing works at the Cross River Rail project, with workers conducting a Dial Before You Dig assessment before drilling, yet the old main was not detected.

The leak turned the area into a temporary pool, much to the surprise of local residents and passersby. In the video, one person comments humorously on the situation, describing the scene as a “bit of mischief.”

Response and Rectification

Urban Utilities responded immediately to the situation, dispatching a crew to shut off the water supply as quickly as possible. Despite the large amount of water that flooded the site, there were no interruptions to water services for nearby residents or businesses, nor were there any traffic disruptions reported.

By Monday evening, 23 Sept 2024, Cross River Rail authorities confirmed that dewatering activities had been completed at the site. A spokesperson from the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority stated that safety and environmental management were being handled in accordance with strict guidelines. Rectification works are ongoing to repair the damaged water main and ensure the site continues to meet environmental standards.

Cross River Rail Roma St
Photo Credit: Cross River Rail

Impact on the Project

Despite the disruption caused by the incident, the wider worksite at Roma St remains operational. The Cross River Rail project continues without significant delay, with teams ensuring that the repairs and environmental precautions are in place to prevent any future issues.



Urban Utilities has expressed satisfaction with how the contractor handled the clean-up and repair process. The quick action of both the Urban Utilities team and Cross River Rail contractors ensured minimal impact on the community and the ongoing project.

Published 25-Sept-2024

Brisbane Digs Deep for Cross River Rail

The first road header has started tunnelling at Roma Street, the site of one of Brisbane’s new train stations heralding the start of Queensland’s largest job-creating infrastructure project, the Cross River Rail.

Roma Street is where a large station cavern is also being excavated as part of Brisbane’s new underground line. It will have a cavern that’s 280 metres long and 27 metres below ground.

Weighing 115 tonnes, the 22-metre long roadheader arrived in Roma St in pieces and were assembled at the bottom of the 18-metre-deep shaft. If all goes to plan, it will excavate approximately 50 tonnes of rock and soil per hour.

A second roadheader will begin work at Roma Street, tentatively before the end of the third quarter.

“Above ground demolition has also been underway for several months at the site of the new station – but today is a huge milestone for this project as we start tunnelling for the first time,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

“This is just the beginning of the underground works, with 5.9 kilometres of twin tunnels and four underground stations to be excavated in total,” she said.

The Roma street railway station will have two train platforms.

Demolition

The tunnelling site is covered by an enormous “acoustic shed.” The shy will contain dust and construction debris, as well as minimise noise.

Meanwhile, the demolition of the nearby Hotel Jen building will continue to progress at the present pace of one floor per week. Once this is done, the massively unpopular Brisbane Transit Centre will be next up for demolition.

Creating Jobs and Solving Congestion

She went on to explain that boosting employment and busting congestion are the twin focus of the project. The Cross River Rail is expected to create more than 7,000 local jobs, a massive boost to the local economy, particularly in light of the employment challenges experienced by various sectors during the coronavirus months.

“We’re not only building a new train station and digging tunnels. Cross River Rail will also generate billions of dollars of new private sector investment in the city as we redesign the precinct around the new station,” Ms Jones added.

“That means more jobs and more economic stability at a vital time for Queensland,” she said.

Construction, according to Treasurer and Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Cameron Dick, is one of a number of traditional industries that had helped insulate Queensland from the economic fallout brought about by COVID-19.

“So many Queensland families and businesses have been hit hard by something they could not have imagined just a few months ago,” the Treasurer said.

“But some of Queensland’s traditional strengths like mining, agriculture and construction have weathered the storm better than other areas. As our economy reopens, we will be supporting jobs in these sectors, as well as jobs in new and emerging industries,” he added.

State Development Minister Kate Jones agrees. “Coronavirus has had a huge impact on our economy. But we won’t let it derail Queensland’s largest infrastructure project,” she said.

Bus Station Closure

In other news, the Roma Street busway station will be closed for 15 weeks, beginning on the 18th of May.

Photo Credit: Translink

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