Canberra road a first for Fulton

Fulton Hogan expects to complete the Canberra road project in 2016. Photo / Getty Images

11.5km dual carriageway linking CBD with airport the largest construction project for New Zealand contractor.

Canberra's A$288 million ($358 million) Majura Parkway contract is one of the largest won by New Zealand's biggest road, contracting and land development business.

Fulton Hogan has contracts worth $3.7 billion, nearly four times Fletcher Construction's $1.1 billion workload but late last year it won the parkway, the company's first big construction project in the Australian Capital Territory and the largest construction project in the nation's capital.

The company is building an 11.5km dual carriageway to connect the Federal Highway to Monaro Highway and Peter Kessler, Fulton Hogan chief operating officer for construction in Australia, said at an official launch early this year that it was a big win for the company and its first project in the territory.

"Majura Parkway will connect the CBD with Canberra International Airport and the Majura Valley, creating improved traffic conditions for commuters and international freight," Kessler said when the first sod was turned at an event attended by Australian Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, and ACT Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher.

The Federal Highway will be connected to the Monaro Highway to relieve traffic congestion and provide better access to the valley, enable faster movement of traffic from the north to the southside of Canberra, reduce commuters' fuel consumption and greenhouse gases.

Fulton Hogan won the job in September and has since established the main project office in the Majura Business Park. The new road is forecast to carry around 40,000 vehicles a day including up to 6000 trucks by 2030. The overall project is due for completion by mid-2016.

Nick Miller, Fulton Hogan Christchurch-based managing director, said three months ago that the company's $3.7 billion workload was fairly evenly divided between New Zealand and Australia.

The 2012 annual report was posted on the Companies Office website last month and a Fulton Hogan spokesman said that trend had continued as the business won more work.

Some of the pillars of the forward order book were mentioned in the company's half year guidance note on March 6, he said.

These included a pickup in the scale and pace of South Island projects including a steady share of the Stronger Christchurch Rebuild Team work now at full momentum and the upgrade of the Tekapo Canal.

The Fulton Hogan spokesman said the $39 million Dunedin roading contract announced by the Dunedin City Council in March was among the large number of sealing, asphalting and road construction and maintenance contracts which continue to be the backbone of the business in New Zealand.

Fulton Hogan says its principal activities are road construction and surfacing, quarrying, production of metal and specialist aggregates, highway maintenance for local and national governments here and in Australia, production of asphalt, bituminous products and emulsion, land development for residential sections, civil construction including rail and water services, airport runway construction and surfacing and facilities maintenance.

One of its largest residential subdivisions is Millwater near Silverdale, north of Auckland.

Fulton Hogan

*79 years construction experience
*Founded by Jules Fulton and Bob Hogan in Dunedin
*Employs more than 5500 people
*Canberra job one of its biggest
*A$288m Majura Parkway under way

[Source: Fulton Hogan]