Brisbane’s transport infrastructure network receives record $1.12 billion capital injection in Council Budget
Brisbane’s transport infrastructure network has received a record $1.12 billion capital injection in today’s Budget, in a bid to get the city moving.
Both the CLEM7 tunnel and the Hale Street Link Bridge will open in 2010, heralding the first new river crossing for Brisbane in 20 years.
Eleven new major road projects will begin as part of the Lord Mayor’s Road Action Program (RAP), which will attract $164 million in spending:
- $35.75 million over three years for Bridgeman Rd Stage 1 (new road), Bridgeman Downs
- $38 million over three years for Beckett Rd widening (Saturn Court to Albany Creek Rd), Bridgeman Downs
- $5.25 million on Beenleigh Rd (Stiller Rd to Millers Rd four lanes)
- $2.2 million over two years for the Beenleigh Rd / Warrigal Rd intersection upgrade
- $25 million over three years on Blunder Rd Stage 6 (new road), Pallara
- $6.79 million on Bracken Ridge Rd Stage 2 (Four-lanes from Lot St to Norris Rd), Bracken Ridge
- $20.3 million over two years on Kingsford Smith Drive Stage 1 (upgrade from four to six lanes between new Gateway Motorway and Theodore St), Eagle Farm
- $22.4 million over three years on Progress Rd Stage 2 upgrade (Ipswich Motorway to Boundary Rd)
- $13.1 million over two years for Gap Creek Rd (upgrade of existing unsealed road, new bridge and safety improvements), Kenmore Hills and The Gap
- $8.7 million over two years for Illaweena St (Beaudesert Rd to Gowan Rd) upgrade from 2 to 4 lanes, Drewvale
- $5.38 million for Rafting Ground Rd (culvert upgrade to improve flood mitigation), Brookfield.
The RAP fast-tracks 15 years of road works into four years across about 60 projects, 35 of which are underway.
Brisbane’s 32 general traffic lanes across the river are currently at 93-95 percent capacity in the morning peak.
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman says increasing congestion has called for a major re-vamp of the city’s infrastructure.
“This Budget will see a one-off $503 million payment to RiverCity Motorway at the completion and opening of the CLEM7 tunnel,” he says.
“The CLEM7 and the Hale St Link Bridge will be the first new river crossings for Brisbane drivers since the Gateway Bridge opened more than two decades ago.”
Council has maintained its commitment to dealing with dangerous and congested railway crossings in Geebung, Wynnum and Telegraph Road, with hundreds of millions of dollars.
It previously paid just 15 percent of the cost of railway crossing projects, yet it has increased its stake to funding half of the project.
With the State Government refusing to contribute, Newman has committed another $25.3 million to the Northern Link tunnel project, from the Western Freeway at Toowong to the Inner City Bypass.
However, the project is still in need of $500 million promised by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2007.
Newman insists the project is ready to go, and will create many jobs.
“We need this money urgently to progress this project,” he says.
“This project, and the job security it can bring for many Brisbane workers, is dependent upon the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd making good on this promise.
“It’s now time to deliver. We need the Prime Minister to deliver on his commitment so we can get this vital infrastructure project off the ground. Every day this project is delayed is a day lost.”