Motorists being driven to despair!
Published 3:30pm 26 October 2023
Words by Nick Crockford
Billions of dollars will fund huge road projects in the City of Moreton Bay for the next two decades - but is it enough?
Our roads – major and minor – are already choking as the population accelerates from 500,000 to 800,000 by 2045.
The Bruce Highway can be a crawl from Burpengary to Pine Rivers Bridge.
Accidents and breakdowns create huge tailbacks.
Our arterial roads are also under strain with a number of two-lane sections needing urgent upgrades to four.
But this will take years.
Mayor Peter Flannery voiced his concerns this month saying the State Government’s proposed infrastructure plan is "not good enough".
“We can’t develop land for housing without infrastructure,” he said, adding, “Almost half the State’s transport expenditure in our area is for planning and maintenance.”
Motorists we’ve spoken to say these are problem roads in our City (Bruce Highway excluded)
Do you agree? Have your say! Click the images below to skip to the opinion poll.
Honorary mentions:
- Dawson Parade, Arana Hills
- D’Aguilar-Bruce Highway intersection
- Anywhere on Morayfield Rd
- Anzac Ave at North Lakes
- Station Rd roundabout in Burpengary.
Major Road projects planned by Transport and Main Roads (TMR):
Gateway Motorway to Dohles Rocks Rd intersection:
Cost $948m ($758.4m Federal, $189.6m State Govt)
Business case is expected to be finalised in late 2023.
- Collector-distributor roads both sides of the Bruce Highway between Gateway Motorway and Dohles Rocks Rd
- New bridges over the Pine River for collector-distributor roads
- New lanes on Gympie Arterial Rd from Strathpine Rd to Gateway Motorway merge
Dohles Rocks Rd to Anzac Ave intersection:
Cost: $250m ($200m Federal, $50m State Govt)
Work expected to start in 2024 on Stage 1, northbound highway entry and southbound exit ramps Dohles Rocks Rd to Anzac Ave.
- Followed by collector-distributor roads on both sides of highway Dohles Rocks Rd to Anzac Ave.
- Upgrades to the Anzac Ave interchange.
Bracken Ridge to Pine Rivers Bridge:
Cost: $1 billion. ($800m Federal, $200m State Govt)
Business case is expected to be completed in late 2023.
- Additional Gateway Motorway lanes
- improved connections to Bracken Ridge Rd and Deagon Deviation
- upgrades to the motorway curve at Bracken Ridge
Bruce Highway Western Alternative:
Study cost: $20 million ($10 Federal, $10 State Govt)
- Stages 1 (Moodlu to Moorina) and 2 (Moorina to Narangba) land already secured.
- Planning Stages 3 (Narangba to Bald Hills) and 4 (Beerburrum to Moodlu) to continue in 2024.
- New transport corridor between Beerburrum and north Brisbane will be alternative route to the Bruce Highway.
“Sequential” upgrades to improve safety, ease congestion and improve traffic flow and connectivity on critical sections. Road will be upgraded to four lanes.
- Finished: Old Toorbul Point Rd intersection upgrade finished October 2021. New traffic signals Regina Ave intersection installed March 2023.
- Designing: Duplication of Caboolture-Bribie Island Rd between Old Toorbul Point Rd and Saint Rd, with signals at Volz Rd.
- Planning: Duplication of Caboolture-Bribie Island Rd between King Johns Creek and Hickey Rd is underway.
- Business case is underway for a new Bribie Island Bridge.
Cost: $80 million (Federal $32.75m, State $15m, Council $32.25m)
Federal Government’s Independent Strategic Review of its Infrastructure Investment Program clouding future of project.
- Plan includes 212-metre bridge over Youngs Crossing to ensure road remains open in times of water releases from North Pine Dam.
- Mayor Peter Flannery says design work completed, resources allocated, council ready to go to tender.
Deception Bay Road duplication:
Planning cost: $1.5m (State Govt)
Timeframes for detailed design and construction not known at this time
- Plans to widen Deception Bay Rd from 2 to 4 lanes, between the highway and Park Rd/Lipscombe Rd intersection. 3.3km stretch is last two-lane section of Deception Bay Rd.
- New service roads and eight bus stops
Planning cost: $350,000 from State Govt
Planning underway, no timeline on project yet.
- Includes: long-term vision for Dayboro Rd from Gympie Rd to Youngs Crossing Rd.
- Will consider Moreton Bay City Council's planned upgrade to Youngs Crossing Rd.
Bruce Highway – Ulhmann Rd to Caboolture Bribie Island Rd
Planning cost: $12m (Federal $9.6m, State 2.4m)
Planning started early 2023 and is expected to finish late 2024.
- Upgrade highway from Buchanan Rd, Morayfield to Caboolture-Bribie Island, Caboolture.
- Options: Add new northbound and southbound lane; or add collector-distributor roads from Uhlmann Rd and Caboolture-Bribie Island Rd.
- Upgrade Buchanan Rd and Caboolture-Bribie Island Rd interchanges
- Upgrade highway bridges over Caboolture River
- Upgrade Caboolture-Bribie Island Rd between the highway and Pasturage Rd
- Upgrade highway bridges over Caboolture River to improve flood immunity
Have your say!
Which stretch of Moreton Bay road is the worst?
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