LINKFIELD ROAD OVERPASS TO BE DUPLICATED
A duplication of the Linkfield Road overpass will bust congestion and improve safety at a notorious bottleneck in Brisbane’s north.
The overpass currently forces vehicles to merge from two lanes to one before the Gympie Arterial Road on-ramp, frustrating thousands of motorists on a daily basis.
Federal LNP Member for Petrie Luke Howarth and Federal LNP Member for Dickson Peter Dutton have been fighting for funding to bring the duplication to fruition and have received thousands of signatures to a petition in support of the upgrade.
Today the Liberal and Nationals Government announced a commitment of up to $100 million to help fund 80 per cent of the works.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the upgrade would make sure that local motorists aren’t stuck in traffic while doing the school run and traveling to and from work.
“We are focused on congestion busting upgrades which get people out of traffic so that they can spend more time with their families in the morning and at night,” the Prime Minister said.
“This upgrade has long been called for by local residents and they have been extremely well supported by their Federal LNP Members in Luke Howarth and Peter Dutton.
“Luke and Peter have been campaigning for this critical upgrade for months and because of our efforts to build a stronger economy we are able to back them in.
“Now it’s up to the Queensland Labor Government to get on-board so work can start as soon as possible.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the upgrade would improve safety in the area.
“We know the accident and near-miss rate at the northbound highway connection to the Gympie Arterial Road is a major issue,” Mr McCormack said.
“This upgrade will create a safer overpass and bust the congestion that motorists endure as they merge from two lanes into one.”
Federal LNP Member for Petrie Luke Howarth said the upgrade would be welcomed by motorists who regularly travel on the overpass.
“This upgrade will remove a significant bottleneck that has been a source of great frustration,” Mr Howarth said.
“In particular, it will reduce driving time for the thousands of motorists who access the Gympie Arterial Road and Bruce Highway from Linkfield Road, getting them home to their families sooner and safer.”
Federal LNP Member for Dickson Peter Dutton said the upgrade would include an in-depth planning phase.
“The exact scope of this upgrade will be investigated as part of the planning process and I look forward to seeing the overpass transformed to be a safer and more efficient part of the road network,” Mr Dutton said.
“This is a great outcome for the Linkfield Road overpass campaign which Luke and I launched in March this year and is a well-deserved reward for the thousands of people who signed the petition and contributed their time and voice to this worthy issue.”
The $100 million commitment to the Linkfield Road overpass builds on a commitment of $150 million for northbound entry and southbound exit points at the Dohles Rocks Road interchange on the Bruce Highway.
The Palaszczuk Labor Government is yet to commit its 20 per cent contribution to the Dohles Rocks Road interchange project and will also be asked to fund 20 per cent of the costs to duplicate the Linkfield Road overpass.
In total, the Federal Liberal Nationals Government has committed $10 billion to upgrade the Bruce Highway corridor as part of an overall $20.4 billion commitment to transport infrastructure in Queensland since 2013.