Labor commits $1.6b for road upgrades in Brisbane north

The next two stages of the Gateway Motorway/Bruce Highway upgrade and increased funding for an overpass duplication are the major commitments for Brisbane’s north from Federal Labor.

Traffic on the Bruce Highway pictured from the Linkfield Rd overpass at Bald Hills. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

THE next two stages of the Gateway Motorway/Bruce Highway upgrade and increased funding for an overpass duplication are the major commitments for Brisbane’s north from Federal Labor.

Federal Budget: $800m to fix Gateway Motorway bottleneck

Federal government commits $100m to Linkfield Rd overpass

Budget reply: Shorten’s $6.3b for Qld infrastructure

The announcements were made this morning in Bald Hills by Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development Anthony Albanese, following last night’s Budget reply speech by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development Anthony Albanese (centre) with Labor candidate for Lilley Anika Wells, Labor candidate for Petrie Corinne Mulholland, Member for Longman Susan Lamb and Labor candidate for Dickson Ali France at a media conference at Bald Hills on April 5. Picture: Michelle Smith

Today’s announcements included:

■ $1.5 billion for an upgrade of the Gateway Motorway from Bracken Ridge to the Pine River and the next stage of the Bruce Highway from the northern suburbs to Caboolture, including an upgrade at the Dohles Rock Rd intersection, a new bridge over the Pine River and new feeder roads to take local traffic off the highway.

■ Matching the Coalition’s funding of $100 million to duplicate the Linkfield Rd Overpass at Bald Hills.

Mr Albanese said the $1.5 billion package would reduce traffic congestion and improve road safety “for what is a critical pinch point” along the Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway.

“It will deliver not just an upgrade with extra lanes but improvements in terms of points along the Bruce Highway.”

Mr Albanese said the final costing for the second stage, from the Pine River to Caboolture, hadn’t been done, and the detailed plans would be prepared by the Queensland Government.

However, he said the project would incorporate Intelligent Transport Systems including variable speed limit signage, variable messaging signs, traffic monitoring cameras and ramp metering.

“The application of this technology will improve traffic flow along the motorway,” he said.

Traffic on the Gateway Motorway near the Deagon Deviation. Picture: AAP/David Clark

“On the Bruce Highway we would prioritise the critical section between the intersection with the Gateway Motorway and Dohles Rocks Rd.

“The work would include a new bridge over the Pine River and up to four new collector roads to take local traffic off the highway, making more room for motorists and truck drivers heading north toward Caboolture and south into the city.”

Mr Albanese said the new bridge would be a duplication, with engineering work to be done by the Queensland Government.

In relation to Linkfield Rd, Labor has increased its commitment from $60 million (announced in August 2108) to $100 million “because we’ve got new information from the Queensland Government on the funding costs”.

Mr Albanese said the strategic cost estimate of the project was $125 million.

“On the existing (Coalition) Budget timetable, no money would flow for at least four years,” he said.

“That’s too long. With the local population growing strong Labor, if elected, would bring forward sufficient funding to allow work to begin in our first term.”

However a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said the Coalition’s $100 million (announced in December) was available as it was funded from the $1.4 billion Bruce Highway Future Priorities commitment announced in the 2018—19 Budget.

The spokesman said the funding is captured in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2018-19 paper.

Currently two lanes on Linkfield Rd merge into one before drivers turn north onto the Gympie Arterial Rd. It is a serious choke point and a notorious traffic accident black spot.

Earlier this week the Coalition Government announced $800 million funding to extend the Gateway Upgrade North project and widen the motorway from four lanes to six from the Deagon Deviation to the Pine Rivers Bridge at the start of the Bruce Highway.