Minister needs to take the high road at traffic choke point

So all he's done is spend a million dollars to shift the queue from Caloundra Rd to Nicklin Way.

The State Government plans to install traffic lights at the intersection of Nicklin Way and Caloundra Road as part of its proposed upgrades for the junction. Picture: Google Maps

REFERRING to the Caloundra Rd-Nicklin Way roundabout, Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey clearly has it wrong.

Obviously he has not sat in the kilometre-long traffic queue he created at southbound Nicklin Way.

Any afternoon, it can take up to 20 minutes to get through this.

Previously, it only took two to three minutes.

So all he's done is spend a million dollars to shift the queue from Caloundra Rd to Nicklin Way.

How is this better?

It's a terrible result for Sunshine Coast motorists.

Apparently, he wants to eventually turn this into a signalised intersection.

That's an even worse outcome.

Traffic will be held back in all four directions instead of just one or two now.

A much better solution can be found in other parts of Australia where one road and the roundabout are kept and an overpass is built for the other road.

In this case, Caloundra Rd traffic flows east-west without interference and Nicklin Way to Pelican Waters Boulevard flows north-south over a bridge, also without interference.

Traffic turning from one to the other can still access the roundabout at ground level.

The result is an intersection with much higher capacity, no signals required and traffic flows much more freely.

A superior, long-term solution.

STAN POLLOCK

Caloundra

Originally published as Minister needs to take the high road at traffic choke point