Greenbank State School named on Inland Rail safety hit list

A primary school is on notice after the road it is on was named as one of 10 tipped to be affected by construction of the Inland Rail.

Inland Rail will run from Bromelton through parts of Logan and on to Acacia Ridge.

A primary school is on notice after the road it is on was named as one of 10 tipped to be seriously affected by construction of the Inland Rail freight line.

Greenbank State School on Goodna Rd was expected to experience more traffic snarls and safety concerns during the line’s construction.

At the top of the list was Teviot Rd from Bushman Dr to Middle Rd at Greenbank, with

Greenbank Rd from Mount Lindesay Highway to Teviot Rd and Johnson Rd from Peverell St to the Logan Motorway earmarked.

The Logan City Council map with the purple line the proposed ARTC track and the red line the expected truck routes during construction. The light blue lines are passing loops.

The roads were named in a Logan City Council document which included a map showing routes trucks would use during the freight line’s reconstruction.

The report said residents on the roads could expect up to 20 vehicles an hour in each direction with road safety a major issue along with degradation of local roads and footpaths.

It also listed 10 access roads in Logan and the Scenic Rim where trucks were expected to clog while upgrading the line and adjustments at five bridges where the line will be lowered.

Greenbank State School was mentioned in documents because it is on a main road that is listed which will be subjected to heavy traffic.

Teamster Ct to Drover Cres at Jimboomba was at the top of the list with Bushman Dr, Whittling Ct, Moody Rd, Jacklin Ct and Middle Rd also included by construction traffic used from ARTC.

But it will be residents who live around five bridges where adjustments will be made to lower the track, who were expected to carry the brunt of the road disruption.

Track at the bridges at Beaudesert Rd, Leroy Rd, Johnson Rd, Middle Rd, and Pub Lane will be lowered to allow double-stacked trains.

One of the bridges in Logan.

The bridges, all in Logan and Scenic Rim, have to be adjusted, or the track underneath lowered, to cater for double-stacked freight trains.

The main bridge affected will be at Teviot Rd and Middle Rd interchange where ARTC is trying to take the cheaper option of lowering the track instead of building a double-lane higher-standing bridge.

The council will use the document to lobby the freight line developer ARTC into repairing any damage to local roads during the construction and limit the roads the construction traffic can use.

The council will also write to the state government and ask it to guarantee it will include measures to cut noise, dust and vibrations while it carries out the works.

But councillor for the Greenbank area Natalie Willcocks said the state should also be forced to guarantee mitigation measures such as soundproof fences into the future.

Logan councillor Natalie Willcocks

“We are still being left in the dark about exactly what local roads will be used and when ARTC plans to do this work,” Cr Willcocks said.

“The state government has approved housing estates to be developed within 500m of the track and, as a councillor, I am advocating that ARTC provide sound barriers and appropriate fencing for homes that already exist along the line and for those that have not yet been built.”

Residents of Forestdale had a minor win last month, when developer ARTC deleted from designs a “crossing loop”, where trains could idle for hours while waiting for a passing train.

Forestdale resident Suz Corbett said it was a small victory to have the 2.2km loop taken out of the middle of high-density housing.

“It was a ridiculous place to have the loop in the first place but this is a win for the residents who would have had to put up with 10 trains a day idling for up to an hour each time on the passing loop.

“It’s not just the noise, it’s also the exhaust diesel fumes.”

A passing loop still remains in plans for Flagstone.