Traffic & Transport

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.

Deception Bay Rd

Bruce Highway to Park Rd intersection. Three lanes funnel into one causing huge tailbacks, especially in the morning and it's getting worse. Planning has started to turn two lanes into four, but will be years before 3km stretch is upgraded.

Anzac Ave

Mango Hill and Rothwell/Kippa-Ring. Much of it is commuter and school traffic. Right turn into Capestone creates long queues in the mornings. Deception Bay Rd to Klingner Rd intersection, recently upgraded, but congestion remains. Solutions?

Buchanan Rd, Morayfield and King St, Caboolture

Queues can tail back onto the highway at peak times. Motorists are then delayed by roundabouts. Four lanes and traffic lights are possible solutions. $100m Buchanan Rd upgrade has been pushed by the council.

Linkfield Rd, from Bridgeman Rd to South Pine Rd

Another two-lane road which needs to be four lanes, asap. With traffic lights both ends, queues build quickly. Problem is Linkfield Rd overpass at Gympie Rd is far higher priority.

Klingner Rd roundabout

Long queues and frustration for many. Moreton Bay City Council is changing intersection to traffic lights and adding cycle lanes. Federal Government and Moreton Bay City Council funded. Due to finish in December.

Diamond Jubilee Way, North Lakes

Long queues in the morning run towards Anzac Ave. Tailbacks stretch well beyond Kinsellas Rd West and approach Discovery Dr. Growth of Mango Hill unlikely to ease this bottleneck.

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.

Caboolture-Bribie Island Rd

“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.

Youngs Crossing 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

Dayboro Road upgrade:

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