OREANDA-NEWS. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (NYSE:JEC) announced today its appointment, as a member of the Fulton Hogan Seymour Whyte Joint Venture (FHSW JV), to provide design services for the Bruce Highway Upgrade – Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway in Queensland, Australia.

The $860 million (USD) project involves upgrading the highway to six lanes and delivering major upgrades of the Caloundra Road and Sunshine Motorway interchanges in one of Queensland’s highest priority road projects.

The FHSW JV, comprised of Fulton Hogan, Seymour Whyte Group and designers Jacobs and Arup, is delivering the upgrade on behalf of the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads.

The FHSW JV developed a unique design solution for the project that includes a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) at Caloundra Road – the first to be built in Australia. The objective of the DDI is to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. It also uses a smaller footprint than traditional interchange designs.

Commenting on the announcement, Jacobs Senior Vice President Buildings and Infrastructure Patrick Hill said, "We’re delighted to be a member of the FHSW Joint Venture and contribute our world class design expertise to this important transport project for Queensland and Australia. We look forward to working closely with our joint venture partners and the Queensland Government over the coming years."

Detailed design has commenced, with major construction expected to begin in mid-2017. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2020.