Riverway Drive to open back up to the Ring Road after milestone completed
A major milestone of the Townsville Ring Road development has been completed, with the closed on-ramps and off-ramps set to open soon for residents.
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Townsville residents heading anywhere in a hurry will be able to re-enter the Ring Road from Riverway Drive in the next few days after a major milestone was completed.
A second bridge of the Bohle River has been completed and is expected to open this weekend.
The 199.6m bridge is the last of four bridges and overpasses to be constructed, and the largest, following a joint $280m investment from the state and federal governments.
In addition to the reopening of the southbound entry ramp on Riverway Drive, scheduled for Friday morning, a northbound entrance to the ring road will open on Beck Drive on Saturday, giving access to motorists heading north towards Hervey Range Road and Ingham.
Member for Thuringowa, Aaron Harper, said the most recent steps in the project would make Townsville’s roads safer.
“I’ve been a long-time advocate for stage five of the Townsville Ring Road so it’s great to see this major milestone met for the community,” Mr Harper said.
“This is the final step of the Ring Road. We know that the old, single-lane that we did have had a number of fatalities out here, and being a former paramedic in the area I had to do my fair share of jobs on this road. To be here today is a credit to every single worker in the community and to the company.”
Mr Harper said the addition of on-road ramps and off-road ramps at Beck Drive had led to a number of other opportunities as well.
“That’s triggered development to Council for increased residential capacity in the Upper Ross catchment area,” Mr Harper said.
“We saw the same thing when duplicated Riverway Drive stage one, build it and they will come.”
Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the project had progressed at an “impressive pace“ since construction began in June 2021.
Senator for Queensland, Nita Green, said further developments would improve road movement.
“Most notably, this project will include an upgrade to the nearby Beck Drive and Gouldian Ave intersection – from a roundabout to a fully signalised intersection – to improve capacity and safety on this section of the local road network,” she said.
“This intersection upgrade will occur in early 2023, along with continued works to open further sections of the new Ring Road and rehabilitate the existing carriageway ahead of project completion which is expected in mid-2023, weather permitting.”
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Originally published as Riverway Drive to open back up to the Ring Road after milestone completed
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