Missing link between two estates remains ‘Road to Nowhere’ despite $17m of work
It’s been labelled the multimillion-dollar road to nowhere and despite $17 million of upgrades this month, a road in Logan’s southwest growth corridor, stills ends in an unpassable 4km dirt track.
Logan
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It’s been labelled the multimillion-dollar road to nowhere.
Despite $17 million of upgrades this month, New Beith Rd, in Logan’s southwestern corner, stills ends in an unpassable 4km dirt track.
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The upgrades, due for completion this week, will rectify flooding issues but not seal a crucial section of the road, which will remain a dusty dirt track.
To the dismay of locals, the massive spending will not result in New Beith Rd linking the planned 11,000-lot Flagstone housing estate and the growing areas of Greenbank and New Beith.
Instead, the 4.7km of pot-hole-ridden boggy track, which is earmarked as an emergency vehicle access road, will remain off limits to all but dirt bike riders and graffiti artists.
The state government is responsible for 3.4km and Logan council the rest.
Logan City councillor for the area Natalie Willcocks blasted both governments for failing to get their road funding priorities in the correct order and called for both to work together to fix the problem.
“We have seen road improvements completed because the council believes they are connecting residents, yet they are roads to nowhere because they don’t connect to main roads,” she said.
“Connecting New Beith Rd to Flagstone is still only in the pipeline with no time frame or deadline.”
The road to nowhere prompted Flagstone resident Chris Spruce to file a parliamentary petition which got 1047 signatures.
He said it was arguably the most crucial section of the road and the missing link into and out of the landlocked Flagstone and without it residents were at the peril of local disasters and daily traffic snarls.
“Residents have nowhere to go in the event of a natural disaster if the only exit out of town is via Homestead Rd,” he said.
“What happens if a fire comes from Cedar Vale or Jimboomba? We have no access west from Flagstone without New Beith Rd and only one road to the east.”
Last month, Mr Spruce had a small win when Economic Development Queensland set out new terms for Flagstone’s developer Peet.
Under new conditions for the next two stages of the project, Peet must build an all-weather emergency access road by the 300th lot and seal New Beith Rd when the 2350th lot is developed.
State MP for the area Charis Mullen said the state had fast-tracked sealing its section of New Beith Rd so residents only had to wait for 2350 lots to be developed as opposed to the original plan of 11,000 lots.
“There is a section of New Beith Rd, approximately 1.3km, to be constructed outside the Flagstone Priority Development Area which is the responsibility of Logan City Council,” she said.
“The timing of this is a matter for Logan City Council in its prioritisation of local roads.”