Racecourse Road traders struggle through Kingsford Smith Drive works

Labor has called on the Lord Mayor to provide certainty to traders on a high street where 20 businesses have closed as major road works cut off access to their street from the main road.

Entry into Racecourse Road from Kingsford Smith Drive is closed. Picture: File

TRADERS on one of Brisbane’s most up-market high streets will deal with major roadworks for longer than expected in another blow to the struggling retailers, Labor says.

Labor Opposition leader Peter Cumming said 20 businesses had closed along Racecourse Rd since works began on the $650 million Kingsford Smith Drive project.

Racecourse Rd traders ask: Give us a sign

Racecourse Rd closed at Kingsford Smith Drive for rolling roadworks

More pain for strip shopping retailers with plans to ban entry into Racecourse Rd off KSD

The turn into Racecourse Rd from Kingsford Smith Drive is closed, and Cr Cumming said rather than reopening in March, it would now be delayed to May.

Cr Cumming said traders told the opposition the intersection reopening was “crucial” to their survival and the delay was “a crippling blow” to small business owners.

“Can you inform the chamber when cars will be able to into Racecourse Rd from Kingsford Smith Drive, so these small business people can have some certainty in their future,” he said.

Cr Schrinner said he understood business owners’ desire for the project to be finished.

“You can’t build anything major in a city like Brisbane without there being some impacts … council would never intentionally or deliberately do something to harm or affect a small business,” he said.

Cr Schrinner said met with small business owners at the Lord Mayor’s Ascot Small Business Forum, held last Wednesday.

Kingsford Smith Drive road works at Racecourse Road. Picture: File

“I was expecting this issue to come up prominently among those small business owners,” he said.

“I did not receive one single question about this particular project or one single complaint.”

Cr Schrinner said the council had worked with the contractor, Lendlease, to manage concerns and had improved signs and consultation with Racecourse Rd traders.

“If we stop when it comes to infrastructure, if we stay still, we go backwards,” he said.

As he spoke, opposition infrastructure spokesman Steve Griffiths repeatedly called out the significant cost of the project: “$650 million”.

The Lord Mayor could not resist taking a shot at Labor saying if it was up to them the project would never be built.

“If Labor had their way, the people in that part of Brisbane would be stuck in traffic,” he said.

“The businesses in Racecourse Road — and all parts of Brisbane — will have trouble if people are sitting in gridlock.”