Tin Can Bay Rd speed reduction sparks controversy
A new speed limit along Tin Can Bay Rd has caused a split with residents, some welcoming the change on the notorious road, while others spurn it.
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A new speed limit on a notorious and fatal Qld regional road has caused a stir online, with motorists taking to social media to express both frustration and relief.
The 20km/h drop on Tin Can Bay Rd between Gympie and Goomboorian will mean drivers now have to do 80km/h on the only road connecting Gympie to Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach.
The road has a notorious history of ongoing road tragedies, and has been referred to as one of the deadliest roads in the Gympie region.
A statement from the Department of Transport and Main Roads said the reduced speed limit was a “response to community concerns about safety.”
“Community concerns, along with a variety of other factors including crash history, traffic volumes, types of road users and the geography of the road, were considered when investigating options to make Tin Bay Road safer for road users,” a DTMR spokesperson said.
That same month residents along Tin Can Bay Rd spoke up over the road, concerned heavy traffic had turned the “country road into a racetrack” and said they fear for their lives every time they leave their driveways.
They called for more to be done on the road including overtaking lanes, verge maintenance, a pedestrian crossing, bus shelters and a clear stop for the school buses.
A post on Facebook over the new limit stirred debate and showed not everyone agreed with the changes to the road.
“Why on a main road in a rural area has the speed limit been lowered from 100 klms to 80 klms (sic) per hour? [ …] Does anyone know who to contact and how to contact the person who made this decision?” Margaret Todd posted.
Ashley Conrad welcomed the change and wrote how she found the “drive more relaxing.”
“Instead of being stuck behind someone doing 20km‘s below the limit, everyone sat bang on 80km/h, including the three caravans and two boats. It added approximately 2 minutes to our driving for that stretch of road and nobody attempted overtaking,” she commented.
“I've driven multiple trucks through there and I can tell you right now, I’ve only ever been able to safely drive that road doing 80, and same for my personal 4x4, f*** doing 100 through that‘s, that’s stupid,” Matt Clarke wrote.
Many other comments pointed out how it was cheaper to lower the speed limit than fix the road, blamed the lack of driving sense for safety issues, and said it was a revenue raiser with some people commenting they have already copped a fine along the stretch.
While the speed limit marks a new change for the road, Main Roads have thrown a glimmer of hope for future upgrades along the only road connecting Gympie to its eastern beach regions.
“The Department of Main Roads (DTMR) is also doing preliminary planning and investigations for future improvements on Tin Can Bay Road, including a new overtaking lane between Gympie and Tin Can Bay as well as a new roundabout at the intersection of Tin Can Bay Road and Bayside, at Cooloola Cove,” a DTMR spokesperson said.
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