Gateway Motorway upgrade: Deagon Deviation to finally open

IN the rush to declare that a vital link of Brisbane’s Gateway Motorway upgrade was completed, Transport Minister Mark Bailey overlooked one crucial fact — it wasn’t.

The Deagon Deviation overpass is expected to open on Saturday. Picture: AAP/John Gass

IN the rush to declare that a vital link of the Gateway Motorway upgrade north was completed, Transport Minister Mark Bailey overlooked one crucial fact – it wasn’t.

More than two weeks after the fanfare at the official opening of the Deagon Deviation overpass on June 7, it still is not open.

In fact, it is still crawling with workmen desperately trying to get it finished.

An artist's impression of how the Deagon Deviation will look.

Hopefully, they’ll be gone by tomorrow, which is when the Transport Department now says the overpass will open for traffic.

That’s assuming the weather forecast – which predicts only a 10 per cent chance of rain in Brisbane through the weekend – is correct.

Mr Bailey’s office forwarded all requests for comment to his department and a spokeswoman blamed rain for the bungle.

Work on and around the Deagon Deviation. Picture: AAP/John Gass

“This opening has been ­delayed due to wet weather,” the spokeswoman said.

Two weeks ago on the Thursday that Mr Bailey visited the overpass, looked around and declared it open, Brisbane recorded 11.4mm of rain.

A total of 10.2mm fell over the following four days. Since then, Brisbane skies have been clear.

Say what? Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey. Picture: Adam Head

Mark Bailey's office blamed rain for the bungle, but there's been little of that lately.

The department had organised the date for the opening ceremony in advance, trying to co-ordinate the schedules of state MPs responsible for building the road, and federal MPs responsible for paying most of the bills.

Quotes from Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher, Federal Member for Petrie Luke Howarth and Mr Bailey’s colleague Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, appeared on a media release from Mr Bailey’s office.

They were fully expecting traffic to begin rolling across the overpass two days later.

“Any traffic switch to implement major changes on the project must occur during a Saturday night shift, when traffic levels are lowest,” the department spokeswoman said.

But that was not clear from the media release.

The department spokeswoman said the ceremony date was planned before opening to traffic to “minimise any impacts”.

“The overpass was due to be opened to traffic mid-month however as advised wet weather has delayed this opening,” she said.

The official opening of the Deagon Deviation overpass was on June 7. Picture: AAP/John Gass

Originally published as Gateway Motorway upgrade: Deagon Deviation to finally open