Marc Bromet wants TMR to change $336m Tiaro Bypass design to help Bauple

A petition has been launched and a row is brewing over proposed designs of the Tiaro Bypass, which a local businessman says will fail to make things safer for local residents or unlock the community’s economic potential.

A Bauple and Tiaro businessman is pushing for changes to the $336m Bruce Hwy bypass of Tiaro, saying the current design fails to improve safety and falls short of the project’s goal of opening up the area’s economy.

Bauple resident Marc Bromet wants the State Government to consider an alternative design he claims would save taxpayers $70million.

The existing design would not resolve traffic congestion problems in Tiaro, and significantly expanded the time it would take for people to access the highway from Tiaro, and vice versa.

Mr Bromet said under the existing design the government was spending $336m but “still getting (B-double cane) trucks through Tiaro”.

That posed a safety risk, he said.

“We’ve got a lot of elderly residents at Bauple, and (under the design) if we have to get an emergency ambulance, it will take some 20 minutes.”

Bauple resident and businessman Marc Bromet says the third option for the Tiaro Bypass in this flyer would cost about $70m less and improve access to the Bruce Highway for the region’s residents.

He said more than 100 people had so far signed a petition in favour of changing the design.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesman said several design options had been investigated, including ones similar to the designs proposed by Mr Bromet.

“The draft design represents the option that performed best, with a higher overall score than the other options,” he said.

Benefits of the proposed plan included 9km of new four-lane highway with a concrete median strip, two separated interchanges (one at Tahiti Rd south of Tiaro and the other at Wilsons Rd to the town’s north), and realignment of the nearest interchanges to provide safe access to and from the new highway.

Tiaro and Bauple businessman Marc Bromet said more than 100 people had signed a petition in favour of revising the Tiaro Bypass design.

“Bauple residents will continue to travel through Tiaro, but will not have to turn across high-speed, high-volume highway traffic for local trips,” the spokesman said.

“The additional travel distance from the realignment is estimated to be about 1km.”

Representatives from TMR will be in Bauple on Thursday, June 16, to engage in community consultation with residents in a forum hosted by the Bauple Progress Association.

BPA president Sarah Brischke said the meeting was to provide clarity to residents about the design, how it would affect the region, and to answer any questions they may have.

The meeting will be held at the Q150 shed at 18 Forestry Rd, Bauple, from 6.30pm.

People who want to sign Mr Bromet’s petition can do so at the Macadamia House on Bauple Dr.