Next Phase of Gympie Four Laning
5th October, 2007
Federal Member for Wide Bay, Warren Truss, said today that tenders for the next phase of converting the Bruce Highway to four lanes through Gympie are expected to be called early in the New Year.Mr Truss said that widening between Monkland Street and Channon Street will proceed in 2008 after the announcement of $40.2 million of Australian Government funding for the works.
Mr Truss inspected work on the first stage of widening between Kidgell Street and the Albert Park Bowls Club today and used the occasion to confirm that a further $40.2 million had been approved for the final two stages of the upgrade.
Overall, the 3.5 km conversion will cost more than $70 million.
“This is one of the most important pieces of infrastructure for Gympie in more than a decade and proves that AusLink is delivering for the people of Wide Bay,” Mr Truss said.
Yesterday, the Howard/Vaile Government announced a further $2 billion to continue the upgrade of the Bruce Highway — with $700 million allocated for the Cooroy to Curra section to meet increasing traffic and freight demands.
Mr Truss said that this new investment was vital for the Wide Bay’s future.
AusLink involves a record $38 billion spending on road and rail infrastructure over 10 years to 2014.
Mr Truss said that the four-lane highway conversion through town is proceeding independently of plans for a Gympie bypass — part of the Cooroy to Curra deviation of the Bruce Highway east of the city.
Mr Truss said he was pleased the $30.6 million Kidgell Street to Albert Park Bowls Club widening works had been completed so far ahead of schedule.
“To build a major road project in an urban area under traffic is a major management task and I congratulate contractors Bellero Constructions on their workmanship and the way they managed the project.”
The next phases of work will be from Monkland Street to Channon Street and from Cross Street to Pine Street. The public have had input into the design solutions.
“Traffic movements will be rationalised at several intersections, while others will be modified with the addition of longer right-turn lanes and new traffic signals, each synchronised with others along the corridor,” Mr Truss said.
The main features include:
• four traffic lanes between Monkland Street and Pine Street;
• right-hand turning lanes into Monkland Street, Channon Street, Cross Street, Jane Street and Pine Street;
• Little Channon Street converted to left-in traffic movements only;
• the intersections at Cross Street and Jane Street controlled by traffic signals;
• full directional signalised intersections at Monkland Street and Channon Street;
• four lanes for Monkland street at its intersection with the Bruce Highway;
• left and right turning lanes on both sides of the Monkland Street intersection;
• a connection to the south of the recently upgraded Pine Street intersection; and
• improved property access on Monkland Street, Cross Street and Jane Street as well as to both sides of the Bruce Highway.
Mr Truss said the plans would cater for further development of Gympie and better integration of residential and commercial areas both sides of the Bruce Highway.
He predicted the proposed improvements would cater to projected traffic levels on the Bruce Highway through Gympie until about 2025 — by which time the Gympie by-pass will have been completed. Currently the highway carries 20,700 vehicles per day, growing at five per cent annually.
ENDS
