Chermside tunnel idea receives mixed response

A proposal to build a vehicle tunnel under Gympie Rd at Chermside has met with a mixed response.

Gympie Rd carries 66,000 vehicles a day.

A PROPOSAL to build a vehicle tunnel under Gympie Rd at Chermside has met with a mixed response.

Urban design think-tank Suburban Alliance revealed the tunnel proposal as a way to relieve traffic congestion and transform the suburb into a major business and residential hub.

Before and after: Chermside tunnel plan revealed

The idea is modelled on Nundah where $55 million spent on a bypass tunnel resulted in more than $800 million of private investment in apartments, retail, food and commercial buildings.

The vision report presents two possibilities — a 1.6km tunnel under Gympie Rd between Rode Rd and Murphy Rd, and a 9km tunnel from Telegraph Rd and Stafford Rd to connect with the existing Airportlink, Clem7 and Legacy Way tunnel systems.

An artist impression of what Gympie Rd, Chermside could look like if a tunnel was built.

While the proposal received support from chamber of commerce and real estate representatives, it has been slammed by the RACQ.

RACQ spokesman Paul Turner said tunnelling was an expensive solution to reduce congestion and other more effective projects were already in the pipeline.

“It’s unlikely either tunnel design will provide a long-term solution to congestion issues on this part of the road network,” Mr Turner said.

“Instead, it might trigger more complexities as population and vehicle numbers rise because it’d become costly to increase its capacity.

“It also raises the question of whether the tunnel would be tolled, which creates another issue for motorists.

“We need to get projects like the North West Transport Corridor off the ground because they offer a more robust solution with a range of transport benefits.

“Improving our active and public transport infrastructure is also important and reduces congestion by taking more cars off our roads.”

RACQ’s Paul Turner says tunnelling is an expensive solution to reduce congestion.

However Brisbane North Chamber of Commerce president Simon Penrose said the tunnel was “a fantastic idea”.

“It’s well worth having a look at, especially if it’s been modelled off what happened at Nundah,” Mr Penrose said.

“In the late 90s I had a business in Nundah and used to have the awnings taken off by trucks coming through the village.

“Businesses were moving out of the area and Nundah was becoming an urban ghetto (before the bypass tunnel).

“A tunnel under Gympie Rd could certainly be a very positive outcome for business in the area and help reduce the volume of traffic.

“I think a lot of people think it’s too hard to get into the shopping centre so they avoid the area and go elsewhere.”

Mr Penrose said there were also a lot of shops along Gympie Rd and very little parking.

“People will park on the opposite side of the road and walk across with trucks and buses going past quickly so there’s a safety issue as well.”

He said there were three options — do nothing and put up with the traffic, build a tunnel or build overhead bridges.

Nick Thornton, senior sales consultant at Harcourts Chermside.

Harcourts Chermside senior sales consultant Nick Thornton said the Clem 7 tunnel should have been extended to Aspley and Carseldine and there was plenty of vacant land available for a tunnel, for example behind the Girl Guides hut at Marchant Park, and near the Webster Rd-Hamilton Rd intersection.

“Traffic is a nightmare on Gympie Rd and getting traffic out of Chermside will be good,” he said.

Mr Thornton said a tunnel would also be a selling point for homeowners in the area.

“When the Clem 7 was being built the price of houses in Kedron and Gordon Park slumped due to the dust and noise.

“But as soon as it was finished they jumped back up as it was a selling point that you could access the tunnel from there.”

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A Transport and Main Roads spokesman said because the area was highly urbanised and had constrained corridors, any improvements to ease traffic congestion required significant funding.

“We are aware of congestion along this busy arterial road,” the spokesman said.

“We are currently undertaking a planning study on Gympie Rd, between Stafford Rd and Linkfield Rd.

“The key outcome of the study is to recommend improvements to road capacity, improve traffic flow, prioritise bus movements, improve overall safety and reduce congestion.

“Works being investigated include at-grade intersection upgrades and bus ‘queue jumps’.”

The spokesman said design had also started on the $53 million Northern Transitway, with works expected to begin next year.

“The project will deliver on-road bus priority along Gympie Rd, between Kedron and Chermside, delivering continuous dedicated bus lanes during peak hours from Chermside to Kedron while retaining all existing car lanes,” the spokesman said.

Another $2 million has been allocated to the detailed design underway for the Strathpine Rd and Gympie Arterial Rd interchange upgrade and more than $2 million has been allocated to the Linkfield Rd ramp improvements, with works to start this year.