Budget News The Road Action!
04 July, 2008
Sign Up for free e-mail updates!
Newman targets congestion hotspots
LORD Mayor Campbell Newman will spend a record $1.2 billion to ease road congestion across Brisbane by targeting traffic bottleneck hotspots.
The Lord Mayor today announced his Road Action! plan – an unprecedented investment in major roadworks across Brisbane in the next four years.
Cr Newman said Road Action! would target Brisbane’s most notorious roads and intersections with fast-tracked roadworks and upgrades to improve traffic flow.
“Road Action! is about taking my congestion-busting plans to another level,” he said.
“This is all about getting Brisbane moving. With the TransApex tunnel schemes already happening we can now turn our focus on traffic congestion in the suburbs.”
This plan identifies more than a dozen of Brisbane’s most congested roads and the estimated cost of improving them. Roads such as:
• Kingsford Smith Drive, Hamilton/Ascot ($210 million)
• Wynnum Road, Wynnum West ($150 million)
• Beckett Road and Bridgeman Road, Bridgeman Downs ($80 million)
• Greencamp Road and Manly Road, Wakerley ($70 million)
• Beenleigh Road ($11 million)
• Progress Road, Wacol/Richlands ($53 million)
• Blunder Road, Doolandella ($55 million)
In addition, Road Action! has $44 million for traffic intersection upgrades.
“Road Action! is part of my plan to get Brisbane moving – a plan that involves more CityCat ferries, a record 500 buses and $100 million for new cycleways,” he said.
targeting these congestion hotspots I hope to see improvements to Brisbane’s overall roads network. My team is getting on with the job.”
In addition to Road Action!, the Lord Mayor foreshadowed upgrades to dangerous railway level crossings at Robinson Road, Geebung ($140 million); Telegraph Road, Bald Hills ($100 million) and Lindum Road, Wynnum West ($66 million).
“By
“These are dangerous traffic bottlenecks – but we really need the State Government to share in the astronomical cost of fixing these train crossings,” Cr Newman said.
The Lord Mayor said Brisbane had to move quickly to fight traffic congestion.
“Brisbane is paying the price of a lack of infrastructure over a number of years. We must address this deficit now or we will pay a lot more in years to come.”