Half the crew is at one end of the job, the truck with the signs is at the other, and someone is driving up and down the highway looking for both. Vague locations cost time on every job, and on a high-speed road a vehicle crawling along the shoulder looking for the site is a hazard in itself. The fix is simple: give everyone the same exact reference, in a form they can open with one tap.
What a good location message includes
On a state-controlled road, a location your whole crew can act on has five parts:
- Road name and TMR section: "Bruce Highway, section 10A". The name alone is ambiguous; the Bruce Highway has 14 sections, and every section starts again at chainage zero.
- Chainage: "chainage 25.306 km" or "CH 25+306". If it's a stretch rather than a point, give the start and end.
- Side or carriageway: "northbound", "left shoulder in gazettal direction" or "carriageway 2". On a divided road, the wrong side can mean a 20-minute detour to the next turnaround.
- A link or coordinates: something people can tap to open a map and get directions.
- What and when: "Advance warning signs from 05:30. Meet at the compound, dropped pin in the link."
Written down, it looks like this:
Bruce Hwy 10A, CH 25.300 to 25.900, northbound left lane closure. Meet at the compound 05:30. Map: chainage.com.au/?lat=…&lon=…
Share a single point in two taps
For a one-off location, such as a meeting point, a hazard you've just found or a sign position, use Share:
- Find the spot in Chainage: use Find my chainage, tap the map or search a chainage.
- On the result card, tap Share.
- Send the link through your usual apps (on a phone, Share… opens the share sheet), or show or download the QR code.
The link opens the map at that exact point in any browser, with the road, section and chainage, and the person opening it doesn't need an account. From there they can tap Google Maps or the directions buttons to drive to it. Nothing is saved to your account when you share a point this way.
QR codes on plans and site packs
Paper still runs a lot of road work. A QR code turns a printed location into a tappable one:
- Traffic guidance schemes and site packs: put the QR for the site compound or the start of works on the cover sheet, next to the written chainage.
- Pre-start briefings: crew scan the code during the briefing and have the location on their phone before they leave the depot.
- Signs and access points: one QR per key point on a marked-up plan means no one has to interpret a hand-drawn arrow.
Tap Download under the QR code to save it as an image for your documents. Keep the written road, section and chainage next to it too, for anyone without a phone handy or with no reception.
Share a whole job with a project link
For anything bigger than one point, keep the locations in a project and share that. A project holds points, dropped pins and chainage ranges, organised into phases (stages of work or shifts) and layers (signs, closures, detours, access). Every item carries its road, section, carriageway and chainage, plus your notes and photos.
From the project's Access & sharing tab, create a share link and choose:
- Which phases and layers it shows, so the night-shift crew only see tonight's set-up;
- an optional password and expiry date, for example the last day of the works;
- whether viewers see notes and photos, can download full-size photos and can see project files.
The link always shows the current version. When the plan changes, edit the project and everyone with the link sees the change; no one is working from last week's screenshot. You can change a link's settings or revoke it at any time. People viewing a share link never need a paid plan, or an account at all.
Working as a team every day
If the same people work together on every job, put them in a company workspace (Business or Government plan). Projects and folders are shared across the company, and each person's role controls what they can do: project managers create projects, contributors add points and photos, viewers just look. View-only roles are free, so you can include supervisors, clients and subcontractors without paying for a seat. See pricing for the plans.
Habits that prevent wrong-site mistakes
- Read it back. When a location is given by radio or phone, the receiver repeats the road, section and chainage. Digits in chainages are easy to mishear (25.306 vs 25.360), so say them one by one.
- One source of truth. Keep the job's locations in one shared project rather than scattered across texts, emails and photos.
- Name things consistently. Give each saved point a map label that matches your plan, such as SIGN A1 or TC 2, so the map and the paperwork say the same thing.
- Check the side of the road. Before you send a link for work on a divided road, open the point in Street View to confirm the carriageway and the approach.
- Plan the approach. Navigation apps route to the nearest drivable point, which might be on the wrong carriageway or a parallel service road. Say which direction to approach from.
Frequently asked questions
Do people need an account to open a shared location?
No. A shared point link or a project share link opens in any browser on any phone or computer. If you set a password on a project link, they'll need that.
Can I control what a project share link shows?
Yes. Each link can show only the phases and layers you choose, can have a password and an expiry date, and can hide notes, photos and files. You can change or revoke it at any time.
Does sharing a single point save anything?
No. The Share button just builds a link and QR code for that location. To keep a location, save it as a chainage point in a project.
What should I include when giving a location over the radio?
The road name and TMR section, the chainage with each digit after the point read separately, the side or direction of travel, and what's there. Ask the receiver to read it back.
Sources
- Chainage user guide: share a location, share a project and companies and teams.
- Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Road Location and Traffic Data definitions (open data).