Fast-tracking Youngs Crossing flood fix

After more than a decade of discussions, Moreton Bay Regional Council has paved the way to fix issues caused by flooding at Youngs Crossing, voting unanimously this week to immediately start community consultation on two proposed upgrade options.

Mayor Peter Flannery says he hopes expedient action will mean recurring flood and road reliability issues will be fixed by mid-2023.

“We want the community’s feedback on two route alignments that will make flood-related road closures and detours a thing of the past,” Mayor Flannery says.

“More than 20,000 vehicles use the road every day and an additional 240,000 people set to call Moreton Bay home over the next two decades.”

Floods cause traffic chaos

“When Youngs Crossing floods, traffic is diverted to Gympie Road, which can create a gridlock that grinds the whole area to a halt. This is why we need to act.”

The portion of Youngs Crossing Road earmarked for the upgrade is between Protheroe and Dayboro roads.

Council will make a formal decision by the end of 2020 so the project can move to the detailed design stage which considers feedback provided during the community engagement process.

Moreton Bay Regional Council has allocated $40 million, including $7.75 million provided by the Federal Government, in its budget towards the planning, design and construction of the new road crossing.

Each proposed route will cost between $49 million and $56 million and include four-lane bridges up to 180 metres long, 9-10 metres above the existing floodway.

Two proposed solutions

Option one is generally based on the existing Youngs Crossing Road corridor. This route will require State Government-controlled Dayboro Road to be upgraded in the future.

Option two uses the road reserve south of Andrew Petrie Drive to link with the Dayboro Road-Beeville Road roundabout. Th land was preserved by the former Pine Rivers Shire Council about 30 years ago for possible use as a road.

Previous option too costly

Division 8 Councillor Mick Gillam, whose ward has its western boundary along Youngs Crossing Road, says while he is not in favour of either of the new options, he accepts the cost of his preferred alignment, outlined in a previous proposal, Option G, is cost-prohibitive, at more than $160 million.

“I look upon the options we have in front of us today as some sort of interim option that will probably last 20-30 years,” he says.

“But I am happy with the recommendation people have the chance to have their say.”

How to have your say

Mayor Flannery says each option has its own challenges and opportunities.

“The most important thing for me is to ensure local residents get to have their say on this important regional issue, so make sure your voice is heard,” he says.

“We expect locals and road users will have some strong views about the options and we want to hear all of them. This feedback will help determine the route we take over the next three years.”

Targeted stakeholder engagement starts on Monday, September 7, but information including details of the two route options, as well as the project survey, can be accessed now at council’s website.

Find more local news here.