Moreton Bay Council has committed to a $40m bridge at Youngs Crossing Rd

Decades of indecision and political squabbling could be at an end as council commits to new bridge over North Pine River

AFTER decades of buck passing and political manoeuvring, Moreton Bay Council has finally committed to building a new bridge over North Pine River.

The council today announced it will provide $4 million in its 2020-21 Budget to start planning for the new bridge that will replace the existing flood prone road at Youngs Crossing, Joyner.

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As recently as March 10, Youngs Crossing Rd went under water after heavy rainfall forced Seqwater to release the gates at North Pine Dam, closing the much-used river crossing.

Council estimates the new bridge and road realignment would cost around $40 million in total, including around $7.5 million in federal funding already on the table.

The announcement also appears to have spelled the end for the controversial “Option G” solution.

“Youngs Crossing Road is a well-known annoyance for motorists after very heavy rain or when water is released from the North Pine Dam,” Division 8 Cr Mick Gillam said.

“This is a massive win for residents and I want to thank the Federal Government for contributing some way towards the cost.”

Prior to the 2019 Federal election, Member for Dickson Peter Dutton secured $7.5 million in funding through the Urban Congestion Fund to raise the existing road at a cost of around $15 million.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey at the time said the funding fell a long way short of the “more than $80 million that Moreton Bay Regional Council knows will be needed for that project”.

Mr Dutton was concerned that the council and State Government were revisiting plans for the controversial “Option G” solution that had been labelled “environmental vandalism”.

In 2014, Cr Gillam was quoted as saying: “Nothing happens to Youngs Crossing until council gets support from the State and Federal Governments for Option G”.

Back in 2012, former mayor Allan Sutherland stated: “The estimates for an all-weather crossing range from $70 million to $160 million.”

It is understood that future stages in the project would involve duplicating Dayboro Rd between Youngs Crossing Rd and Beeville Rd.