Safety upgrade call: Gold Coast’s worst red light running intersection

A major change is coming to one of the Gold Coast’s most notorious intersections, but a local MP says it’s nowhere near enough.

ONE of the Gold Coast’s most notorious traffic intersections is about to get a safety upgrade.

But veteran Gold Coast MP Ray Stevens believes now is the time for a complete overhaul of the junction, known for red light running, after last year warning Transport Minister Mark Bailey there would be a fatality.

Mr Stevens said he had learned the exit across Hooker Boulevard southbound from The Star would be changed to curtail the right-turn option towards Nerang “in the very near future”.

The Star Gold Coast Masterplan Development (viewed from the West) in Broadbeach. Top right is the connection to Hooker Blvd.

“Traffic engineers have described the current configuration as intolerable — which is the highest level of danger in their traffic assessments,” Mr Stevens said.

“I welcome, in the public interest, the Department’s determination to rectify this traffic debacle.”

The Star Casino island was subject to State planning directives and had benefited greatly by a new exit onto the Gold Coast Highway for their new development The Darling, he said.

“This obviously gives the owners a unique opportunity to reconfigure their ingress and egress strategies for the thousands of extra residents they plan to inhabit the island through their development of five new residential high-rise towers,” Mr Stevens said.

“It is impossible for the current traffic exit arrangements from the island to cope with the massive increase in traffic movement created by this population growth. The intersection of Hooker Boulevard and the Gold Coast Highway needs to be freed up immediately.”

Where cars currently turn right from The Star on to Hooker Blvd.

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Mr Stevens described Mr Bailey’s original response as “weak” and “shows how out of touch he and his Labor Government really are on the problems besetting the Gold Coast community”.

Mr Bailey told The Bulletin: “Instead of trying to politicise road safety, Ray Stevens should join the government, TMR, police and the community in calling out dangerous red light running.

“Ray Stevens and the LNP ignored the Gold Coast when they were in power and they continue to take the city for granted.

The masterplan for The Star Gold Coast — bottom right is the Hooker Blvd connection. Photo: Supplied

“TMR is working with the owners of The Star on potential changes to the intersection to make it even safer, but it’s absolutely important that drivers also put safety first when they get behind the wheel.”

Mr Bailey said Labor was delivering $3.13 billion for better roads and transport in the region, building $2.3 billion in M1 upgrades.