Black spot petition pressures State Government

A PETITION to include an overpass in the planned upgrades to a notorious Warrego Highway intersection is gathering steam, with more than 1000 people signing it.

Tallegalla Road/Lowood-Minden Road Warrego Highway interchange concept plan. Picture: Contributed

A PETITION to include an overpass in the planned upgrades to a notorious Warrego Highway intersection is gathering steam, with more than 1000 people signing it.

The Minden Crossroads has been blamed for several major accidents in recent years, including a double fatality in December last year that left a third person critically injured.

Queensland Police yesterday confirmed the Crossroads was the location of a further three crashes involving injury in the past three months.

Of those, two were single-vehicle crashes with one involving a vehicle sliding in wet weather and another involving a lone motorcycle rider.

The State Government's fact sheet regarding the upgrade already underway states the intersection was identified as "one of the highest priorities on the Warrego Hwy for safety improvements". 

Crash statistics between 2008 and May 2015, showed there were; 28 crashes causing injuries occurred at the Tallegalla Road/Minden-Lowood Road intersection. 

Six out of the 28 crashes involved hospitalisation, the Department of Main Roads and Transport fact sheets says.

While the crossroads is set for a major $10million upgrade - with work on the 18-month project getting under way late last year - newly elected member for Lockyer Jim McDonald has joined the chorus of people calling for an overpass.

The current plans do not include an overpass - instead opting for a number of less expensive safety measures, including construction of separate intersections for Tallegalla Rd and Lowood-Minden Rd, new turning lanes in the centre median and new U-turn facilities. The State Government has not ruled out the construction of an overpass at the site in years to come, but says the current plans will have to suffice for the foreseeable future.

Speaking to the QT following the horrific accident in December, Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said he believed the current plans would make a noticeable difference and should proceed.

Supporters of the Queensland Parliament E-Petition - which has now garnered more than 1018 signatures - argue that the current plans will not do enough to improve safety.

Mr McDonald, a former Laidley police sergeant, said the Warrego Highway's role as a major freight route warranted the additional investment.

The current project is expected to be finished by early 2019.

Originally published as Black spot petition pressures State Government