State budget: $35m to investigate toll tunnel on Brisbane’s northside from Kedron to Carseldine

The state budget will include $35 million to investigate the feasibility of a congestion-busting 7km tunnel linking Brisbane’s northern suburbs. HAVE YOUR SAY

A congestion-busting tolled tunnel linking Kedron to Carseldine will be investigated under a $35m investment to be included in the upcoming state budget.

The 7 km tunnel would traverse the long-preserved North West transport corridor and stick closely to Gympie Rd, with Treasurer Cameron Dick confident it can be built within eight years if it stacks up.

The state government will set aside $35m in the upcoming 2023/24 budget to determine if a toll tunnel on Brisbane’s northside from Airport Link at Kedron and emerging at Carseldine is viable.

A new entity named North Brisbane Infrastructure will be established by the Queensland Investment Corporation to undertake the detailed transport modelling, technical assessments and financial analysis.

Public and active transport needs, like bicycle lanes, will also be considered.

A map of the proposed northside tunnel from Kedron to Carseldine. Source: State Government

The latest congestion-busting proposal is likely to reignite a bunfight between the state government and Brisbane City Council, after its proposed North West Transport Network was knocked back by Infrastructure Australia at the end of a $10m study process.

Part of the council’s multi-modal proposal included two options for a road tunnel — a longer 11.75km tunnel connecting Airport Link at Kedron to Gympie Arterial Rd at Carseldine and a shorter 8.5km version which would have followed the Gympie Rd corridor closely.

The tunnel section alone would have cost an estimated $9.2bn and $7.9bn respectively.

Infrastructure Australia rejected the council’s proposal earlier this year because it hadn’t considered in detail a cheaper surface route — though there is strong community opposition to this option and the need to cut through ecologically sensitive areas.

Mr Dick said the government was proposing a new solution to the “long-established challenge” of easing congestion through Brisbane’s north.

“(Queensland Investment Corporation) has the expertise to give us the clearest answer in the shortest time to decide whether a Gympie Road toll tunnel stacks up,” he said.

The Gympie Rd and Hamilton Rd intersection at Chermside is one of the worst intersections in Brisbane. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“Forecast population growth on the Sunshine Coast and in the Moreton Bay region will increase traffic into Brisbane, so now is the right time to do this work.

“Based on Brisbane’s most recent road tunnel projects, from this point the tunnel could potentially be built within about eight years if it stacks up.”

The 4.6km Legacy Way tunnel, opened in 2015, took four years to construct, as did the 6.7km Airport Link tunnel.

The state government has made clear any new northern tunnel would need to be tolled due to the “significance of the project”.

It’s expected the tunnel would mean better connections with the Bruce Highway to and from the Sunshine Coast and a better connection to Brisbane’s west via Legacy way and south through the Clem 7 to the M1.

Community consultation for local residents, businesses and other key stakeholders to have their say will be undertaken later this year.

Work on the investment proposal will start in the 2023/24 financial year.