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‘Desperate plea’ for D’Aguilar Hwy upgrade

Residents north of Brisbane make "desperate plea" for upgrade to D’Aguilar Highway, while Gympie locals call for B-double restrictions

By Brad Gardner | August 8, 2011

A “desperate plea” has been made for urgent investment in Queensland’s ailing D’Aguilar Highway, while locals north of the Sunshine Coast are trying to get restrictions imposed on B-doubles.

Glass House MP Andrew Powell last week tabled petitions from residents north of Brisbane concerned with the state of the route, which runs from Caboolture to Kingaroy and connects with the Bruce, Brisbane Valley, New England, Burnett and Bunya highways.

Unless the government begins upgrading the road, Powell says it should lower the speed limit to 80km/h on a section of the highway between Wamuran and D’Aguilar as a short-term measure.

“I have lost patience and so have the people of Caboolture, Wamuran, D’Aguilar, Mount Mee, Woodford and beyond,” he says.

“The petitions I tabled this week are a desperate plea.”

Powell adds that a lower speed limit is not a long-term solution, saying there is a concern it will increase motorists’ frustration.

“There are no overtaking opportunities on this stretch of the highway and I do fear that the result will be irrational behaviour, and even the safest highways cannot protect against that,” he says.

“On the positive side, an 80km/h speed limit means that in the event of an accident the cost, particularly to human life, will be less. At the end of the day, that is what is most important.”

Gympie MP David Gibson has also tabled a petition voicing community concerns over the size and weight of B-doubles travelling in the region.

Residents want restrictions “until an urgent assessment of the impact of B-double trucks on the roads and safety is completed and any and all necessary upgrades are performed”.

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