Council gives green light to new connection between Isle of Capri and Surfers Paradise to ease east west congestion

A SECOND bridge will be built to link Isle of Capri and Surfers Paradise easing traffic congestion on the Gold Coast.

A SECOND bridge will be built to link Isle of Capri and Surfers Paradise easing traffic congestion on the Gold Coast.

Councillors at an infrastructure committee meeting today backed planning for the bridge which will see construction start early in 2019 and be completed by 2021.

The Surfers Paradise side of the proposed Isle of Capri Bridge duplication. Source: Gold Coast City Council

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate told the Bulletin: “This will be money well spent. The business community, motorists, pedestrians and cyclists will thank us with improved productivity, faster and safer travel options and less time lost in traffic.

“A significant portion of funds for this project will come from the sale of the Transit Centre.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate. Picture by Scott Fletcher

This is a smart solution and ensures ratepayers don’t have to borrow more funds which would cost them millions in repayments over many years.

“We are effectively converting an ageing asset into modern, world-class facilities such as this bridge, and stage one of the arts and cultural precinct.’’

How the bridge could look. Source: Gold Coast City Council

Councillor Tate said the Transit Centre sale would create several benefits including 740 carparks being maintained at the new development, more green space in the Surfers Paradise precinct and the opening up 1.5 hectares of open civic space at Evandale as a community asset.

The existing Isle of Capri bridge.

The new $34 million bridge will run parallel to the existing one and will feature two lanes for vehicles and a generous shared path for cyclists and pedestrians.

“The Gold Coast is an exceptional place to live, work and visit and by 2050 the population is expected to double,” Councillor Tate said.

“We need to have the transport infrastructure, sustainable travel options and traffic flow solutions necessary to support that growth and maintain productivity.”

The bridge would have extra lanes. Source: Gold Coast City Council

The State Government is constructing Australia’s first continuous flow intersection on Bundall Road which will allow northbound traffic to turn right into Salerno Street.

“This will be an important east-west traffic option for our city as we move into the future,” Cr Tate said.

“Doubling the carrying capacity of the bridge is an essential part of ensuring traffic can flow freely. Inclusion of the shared path-cycleway supports people who choose sustainable travel.’’

The expansion would reduce the traffic bottleneck. Source: Gold Coast City Council