New push for road shortcut between Upper Kedron and The Gap
Residents of a booming suburb are pushing for a new road just a few hundred metres long which they say will slash 14km a day from commutes.
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Residents of a fast-growing suburb are pushing for a new road of a few hundred metres that would cut several kilometres from the commute of some people.
More than 230 people have already signed a petition started by Upper Kedron resident Wade Phillips calling for Brisbane City Council to open a link between Canvey Rd and Mt Nebo Rd.
Mr Phillips said it would not add to traffic on Waterworks Rd, The Gap, as everyone that would use it would already access The Gap via Settlement Rd.
“This adds 15 minutes transit every day, plus fuel and pollution and costs,” he said.
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The Ferny Grove Upper Kedron Residents Association (FGUKRA) lobbied for the link when Brisbane City Council was preparing the Ferny Grove – Upper Kedron Neighbourhood Plan in 2018.
The council rejected the call, but the State Government mandated a 20m-wide corridor for emergency vehicle access and active transport (eg: walking and cycling).
When built it would be about 900m long.
FGUKRA Max Crane said his group still supported the link as it would save Upper Kedron residents, especially those in the new Ellendale estate, who worked at The Gap about 14km driving each day.
“The closet house in Ellendale to Mt Nebo Rd is 200m,” Mr Crane said.
He said the council dismissed 52 submissions on the draft Neighbourhood Plan that called for a link to Mt Nebo Rd, and ignored community consultation where three quarters of participants ranked it as the most important issue.
He said the accident rate on Mt Nebo Rd, a popular route for recreational motorbike riders, was used as justification to reject the call.
‘That whole circuit (Mt Nebo Rd and Mt Glorious Rd) is a racetrack for bikes,” he said.
“All they have to do is hit a wet leaf going around a corner and they are off the road.
“A racetrack is going to have more accidents than a bicycle path.”
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Cr Steve Toomey (The Gap) said it was too early to comment.
In 2018 he said: “The Gap residents did not want it and Upper Kedron residents could not even use it.”
The council’s report on consultation for the plan said the reasons given by submitters for supporting the link included better traffic flow, reducing traffic on main roads, easier access to The Gap Park ‘n’ Ride, improved access to schools, cafes and business at Mt Nebo, The Gap, and the Brisbane CBD.
In its report the Council said the link was not needed and would have adverse ecological impacts.
Also, it said traffic modelling showed “reasonably low rates of future use” for the cost of construction and Mt Nebo Rd maintenance.
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