Walkerston Bypass: Victoria Plains resident slams TMR design as waste of taxpayer money

The anticipated Walkerston Bypass design has been criticised as a ‘waste of taxpayer money’ running into the millions, and at least one resident has taken his views public.

The Walkerston Bypass promises improved traffic flow for thousands of motorists across Mackay but Victoria Plains resident Charlie Fox says the project has a design flaw that could cost taxpayers millions.

As the $186.6m bypass nears the construction phase, the design shows it branching off from the Peak Downs Highway at Old Rocky Waterholes Rd.

A new Peak Downs Highway Service Road will be built to cater to residents near the connection point.

For Mr Fox, the design is unnecessarily complicated.

Victoria Plains resident Charlie Fox stands at the Rocky Waterholes – Wollingford Road intersection. Mr Fox says the Walkerston Bypass should connect just beyond the intersection so that a new service road does not have to be built. Picture: Duncan Evans

He wants to see the bypass branch off just beyond the Rocky Waterholes – Wollingford Rd intersection, leaving the Peaks Downs Highway as the service road for residents in the area.

“You don’t need to build a service road, it’s already there, it’s called the Peak Downs Highway,” he said.

“So if the bypass comes 100m past Wollingford Rd and connects into the Peak Downs Highway, there’s no need to build the service road.”

Mr Fox said building a new service road in the low-lying, swampy area by Old Rocky Waterholes Rd and removing telegraph poles and installing new signs was a waste of taxpayers’ money.

He estimated installing the new road could coast at least a couple of million dollars.

“They are just making something complicated,” he said.

“It’s the old ‘kiss’ principle: keep it simple stupid.”

Mr Fox raised his concerns with the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

“They’ve made up their mind and nobody’s going to change it for them,” he said.

A TMR spokesman said the option to extend the bypass beyond the Rocky Waterholes – Wollingford Road intersection had been investigated.

“It was found the new service road, chosen in the design stage, will provide the safest access to the bypass for the resident between Old Rocky Waterholes Road and Rocky Waterholes – Wollingford Road,” the spokesman said.

“The favoured design minimises the requirement for land resumption and an impact on property owners.”

The project will divert heavy traffic away from Walkerston with a new two-lane 10.6km highway connecting the Peak Downs Highway west of Walkerston to the Mackay Ring Road near Paget.

In addition to reducing congestion in Walkerston, it will serve as a direct route for heavy vehicles with Bowen Basin coal producers.

Fulton Hogan is set to start work on the bypass in April.