LNP will build $90m overpass at Gympie Road if it wins election

An overpass will be built over Gympie Road at Carseldine if the LNP wins the Queensland election in October.

Election promises continue to be rolled out before the October 31 poll, with the LNP announcing it would set aside $90 million to build the overpass and remove one of the biggest bottlenecks on Brisbane’s northside.

The intersection of Gympie Road and Beams Road where the LNP will build an overpass if it wins the October 2020 state election.Credit: Google Maps

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said the RACQ identified the Gympie Road-Beams Road junction as the third-worst congestion hot spot in Queensland.

“I want to build Queensland out of recession by delivering new infrastructure like the Beams Road overpass,” Ms Frecklington said.

“There are more than 200,000 Queenslanders out of work, so the LNP will get shovels in the ground in Carseldine as soon as possible.

“This project will create direct jobs in construction and give local businesses a boost by cutting congestion, helping them create even more jobs in the future.”

Queensland Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington says the LNP "will get shovels in the ground in Carseldine as soon as possible".Credit: Tony Moore

About 70,000 vehicles use Gympie Road near Beams Road each day and about 150,000 vehicles use the nearby Gateway Motorway daily.

Under the LNP’s proposal, traffic using Beams Road will be carried over Gympie Road via the new overpass.

Traffic lights on Gympie Road at the intersection will be removed, eliminating long traffic queues in peak hour.

Gympie Road traffic will still be able to turn onto Beams Road and traffic from Beams Road will be able to turn onto Gympie Road.

The idea is supported by Brisbane City Council’s former planning committee chair, Amanda Cooper, who is standing as the LNP’s candidate for the seat of Aspley.

Ms Cooper said the project would cut travelling times for drivers and make business easier for local employers.

“Fixing this bottleneck should be a priority for the Palaszczuk Labor government, but they have ignored it for years,” Ms Cooper said.

“This LNP project will fix Gympie Road, cut congestion through Carseldine and Aspley and remove the first major intersection for motorists travelling into Brisbane from the north.”

Shadow treasurer Tim Mander said the LNP would fund the project without federal government assistance.

“The LNP will get straight to work on building this overpass and our procurement process will ensure Queensland firms are first in line for the contracts.”

Motorists listed the intersection as Greater Brisbane’s third-most congested intersection in an RACQ survey in September 2019.

In July 2020 the RACQ estimated congestion costs on that stretch of Gympie Road was costing businesses money.

RACQ head of public policy Rebecca Michael on July 24 said the congestion cost was about $847,743 per kilometre, well above congestion costs on the Centenary Motorway.

“The report also reveals congestion on Gympie Road at Carseldine, Chermside and Kedron cost millions, with drivers kept at a crawl at extremely congested intersections at Beams Road, Hamilton Road and Rode Road," Dr Michael said.

LNP Aspley candidate Amanda Cooper on Kingsford Smith Drive when she was a Brisbane councillor.Credit: Tony Moore

“These figures leave no doubt congestion is a significant burden on the Queensland economy and is affecting the south-east’s ability to prosper.”

Ms Frecklington said she was inspired by the federal government’s JobSeeker and JobKeeper programs to invent her own term for the October 22 state election.

“The Morrison Coalition government has given us the JobKeeper and JobSeeker safety nets – this will be a Queensland LNP JobMaker scheme.”