Hannah Hammoud
Workers from Major Road Projects Victoria’s Epping Road upgrade are set to be kitted out with personal safety gear provided by a female-led branding and workwear company.
Clare Quinlan’s Salus Workwear will supply personal protective equipment to the project’s construction partner McConnell Dowell, where Ms Quinlan was hired years before as an environmental advisor in the early stages of her career.
Ms Quinlan used contacts from her long stint in the construction industry to found Salus Workwear in 2022, partly for flexibility to raise a family.
Beginning with the Epping Road Upgrade, she hopes to provide employment opportunities for women seeking improved work/life balances and more options for training and career development.
Ms Quinlan said that her goal is to give women who have a passion for construction even more options when it comes to flexible work arrangements.
“I’m excited to be able to provide PPE to McConnell Dowell on the Epping Road Upgrade, which is where it all started for me working in construction,” she said.
The upgrade has begun major works in another step toward providing safer, more reliable journeys for the 35,000 drivers using Epping Road daily in Melbourne’s north.
Major Road Projects program director Adrian Furner said that the upgrade is set to provide better access to community services and improve safety for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
“This is a perfect example of how we can provide even more support to the many women who have a passion for working in construction,” he said.
The upgrade will benefit drivers, cyclists and pedestrians with additional lanes in each direction and improvements to six intersections between Memorial Avenue and Craigieburn Road East.
Current works include the construction of new southbound traffic lanes and the relocation of services such as electricity, water, sewage, and communications.
The upgrade is due to be completed in 2025.
