Kingsford Smith Drive first lanes open as business group slams compensation

Despite the first new lanes of a delayed $650 million Brisbane road project opening, angry local businesses say roadworks have caused them to struggle, with one business owner forced to use her super just to stay afloat.

A CRUCIAL intersection partially closed for months for a $650 million road project will fully reopen soon but traders say it won’t compensate for the difficulty the upgrade caused them.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced the behind schedule Kingsford Smith Drive project’s first newly constructed traffic lanes along the riverside opened to cars this morning.

He added the Racecourse Rd at Kingsford Smith Drive intersection would reopen this month.

“We saw last year, the great river walk open for pedestrians and cyclists and now we’re seeing a newly constructed section of road open for motorists today,” Cr Schrinner said.

“This month, we will see Racecourse Rd fully reopened, we will see the new suburban park precinct at Brett’s Wharf reopened,” he said.

Cr Schrinner said the project was almost 80 per cent complete and lauded that it had created more than 4000 direct and indirect jobs.

“This project is absolutely essential to deal with continued growth in our city and particularly in the Northshore Hamilton area,” he said.

“It’s also critical to provide active travel links and public transport links in the future.”

The intersection between the Hamilton Hotel and 7 Eleven has been partially closed for months. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker)

Ascot Hamilton Business Collective spokeswoman Ingrid Steven said customers had avoided the street due to the roadworks and road closures to the detriment of businesses.

“I would love to meet the Lord Mayor face-to-face and show him the financials and for him to actually hear the real stories from real families who are struggling.”

She said at least one business owner at the Hamilton end of the street had drawn from their superannuation to keep afloat.

“She’s struggling to make ends meet and now she’s eating through her super fund,” she said.

“The level of delays and the lack of compensation and financial support for businesses is unacceptable.”

Ms Steven said initial hopes for Brisbane City Council to install place-making signs to entice visitors into Racecourse Rd had been deemed not possible.

“I don’t know what else they could do to be honest,” she said.

Her biggest plea was to Brisbane residents: “What we want to get out there is for the people out in Brisbane to come see us and support us”.

“We are open for business, the remaining businesses that still stand.”

Ingrid Steven wants customers to know the traders that “still stand” are open for business. Picture: AAP/Richard Walker

Labor lord mayoral candidate Pat Condren said the project had blown out by more than a year “leaving local businesses in the lurch”.

“Now Adrian Schrinner is pretending he’s doing them a favour by reopening Racecourse Road,” he said.

He said the project had been “bungled” and was a “monument to the waste and inefficiency” of Adrian Schrinner and the LNP administration.

Cr Schrinner said the council had worked “very hard” to minimise disruption and where closures were required they were kept to “an absolute minimum”.

“Getting out of their (the business owners’) way is the most important thing we can do and that is happening this month,” he said.

He said there would be a community event to celebrate the opening of the Bretts Wharf public space on November 30 to entice visitors and affirm the high street was open for business.

“We’ve continued to work with businesses along Racecourse Rd and that included investment in things like lighting up the trees along Racecourse Rd to let people know that it is open, and open for business. That’s occurred already,” he said.

He said the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade was due to be completed in the second half of 2020.