Minister says council has 'its head in the sand' over Indooroopilly bridge
Brisbane City Council has 'its head in the sand' over plans to improve traffic around Indooroopilly's Walter Taylor Bridge, according to Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey.
The RACQ has argued that, in order the stop major congestion in Brisbane's western suburbs, new bridges at both the Centenary Bridge at Jindalee and the Walter Taylor Bridge at Indooroopilly should be planned, designed and built within 10 years.
Mains Roads minister Mark Bailey says his department is now planning a new Centenary Bridge at Jindalee.
Photo: suppliedMr Bailey, a former Brisbane City councillor, said his department was now planning for a new Centenary Bridge to replace the four-lane bridge at Jindalee.
Mr Bailey said his department agreed the Centenary Bridge needs to be widened.
“There does need to be an additional bridge there at Centenary and we are doing the preparatory work now to be able to do that and that is exactly what the LNP in City Hall should be doing for Walter Taylor,” he said.
Mr Bailey questioned the council's plans to find a solution to the decade-long winding, slow traffic problems at the single-lane Walter Taylor Bridge at Indooroopilly.
Mr Bailey said he campaigned on the need to accelerate work around the Indooroopilly bridge at the November 2017 state election after the council appeared to stall its planning.
“What we are seeing is they are putting their head in the sand and ignoring the needs of people not just in Chelmer, Graceville and Sherwood, but people on the northside because the traffic bank-ups are getting so bad that it is a common occurrence on weekends as well,” he said.
Mr Bailey said voters had told him they wanted the council to accelerate plans to find an option to improve traffic around Indooroopilly train station and Walter Taylor Bridge.
“I went to the election campaigning to put pressure on City Hall to take Walter Taylor Bridge congestion seriously and get some planning underway," Mr Bailey said.
“I got a 6.5 per cent swing to me in the booths in the Chelmer, Graceville, Sherwood area and that was one of the key things that I campaigned on, so people want to see action from them and not just putting their head in the sand and hoping it will go away, because it won’t.”
Indooroopilly's Walter Taylor Bridge.
Photo: Tony MooreComment has been sought from lord mayor Graham Quirk.
On Tuesday, a council spokeswoman said issues were being considered while a new transport plan for the city, currently in draft form, is being developed.
The council's figures show traffic on Oxley Road through to nearby Coonan Street where the Indooroopilly roundabout meets Moggill Road has increased by almost 1500 vehicles per day to 32,070 per day.
Cars now crawl at an average 24.4km/h in the morning peak in the 60km/h zone.
In response to Fairfax Media reporting this week, Brisbane Times readers made several suggestions.
Those include:
- A toll tunnel linking from Indooroopilly to Gailey Road at Toowong and Coronation Drive;
- Improving the flow of traffic along Witton Street turning to and from the bridge;
- Two extra lanes for the Walter Taylor Bridge;
- Consider the impact on Indooroopilly roundabout where Coonan Street meets Moggill Road; and
- Add dedicated bus lanes to the widened Centenary Motorway.
Cr Quirk's office declined to answer if it believed the RACQ's 10-year planning horizon is appropriate and what options it is considering for Walter Taylor Bridge.
The council has two priority road widening projects well advanced; widening Kingsford Smith Drive and Wynnum Road.
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