Around $35 million has been earmarked towards a detailed investment proposal for building a Kedron to Carseldine toll tunnel that is widely expected to alleviate traffic congestion.
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The congestion-busting project has the potential to seamlessly link the Bruce Highway to Legacy Way, Clem 7, M1, and the Centenary Highway.
“Forecast population growth on the Sunshine Coast and in the Moreton Bay region will increase traffic into Brisbane, so now is the right time to do this work,” Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said.
“Based on Brisbane’s most recent road tunnel projects, from this point the tunnel could potentially be built within about eight years if it stacks up,” he added.
The Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) will oversee a feasibility study for the project, focusing on its viability, adherence to set standards, and taking into account the needs of public and active transportation, including provisions for bicycle lanes.
As part of the detailed investment proposal, potential benefits will be examined. These include shorter commuting times, enhanced connections between the Bruce Highway and the Sunshine Coast, improved links to the west of the city via Legacy Way, and southern connectivity through the Clem 7 to the M1.
To ensure the successful execution of the study, QIC will establish a new entity called North Brisbane Infrastructure, which will be responsible for performing comprehensive transportation modelling, conducting technical evaluations, and carrying out financial analyses.
“This is the simplest, most effective and least disruptive solution to Gympie Road gridlock,” Member for Aspley Bart Mellish said, explaining that locals tell him they don’t want to see a new road constructed on the Trouts Road corridor, which would effectively cut the northside community in two.
“I’ve been pushing for a fix to Gympie Road Gridlock for a long time – and I’m thrilled that we’ve now got a real solution on the table,” he added.
The tunnel, when built, also spells good news for suburbs impacted by the Kedron to Carseldine route.
“More and more people are recognising Pine Rivers as a great area to raise a family, but the lack of an efficient corridor to the city and beyond can make the commute unsustainable. A new tunnel under Gympie Road would unblock across Brisbane’s north,” Member for Pine Rivers Nikki Boyd said.
Additionally, the project aims to enhance the local residents’ quality of life by diverting through traffic from Gympie Road.
Member for Stafford Jimmy Sullivan made the observation that Gympie Road is being forced to function as both a highway and a local road at the same time.
“It can’t continue to do both,” he said. “By taking through-traffic underground, Gympie Road could go back to its original purpose of connecting locals to local destinations.”
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Given the significance of the project, any tunnel that’s built as an outcome of the feasibility study will need to be tolled.
Community consultation to allow local residents, businesses and other key stakeholders to have their say on the Kedron to Carseldine toll tunnel will be undertaken in late 2023.
Published 27-June-2023
