SMITHFIELD BYPASS Seeing red over lights
THE Queensland Government is under fire from motorists and tour operators over its plan to install traffic lights on the $152 million Smithfield bypass.
The bypass map released before the election and currently out to tender puts traffic lights at the turn-off to Yorkeys Knob, stoking concerns the city’s current congestion woes will only be heightened.
Far North Queensland Tour Operators Association president James Dixon said businesses would prefer to wait for a plan that worked than settle for the current proposal.
“I cannot for the life of me see how a set of lights at a major junction is going to improve traffic flow,” he said.
“To me, it’s just going to create another bottleneck.
“I think they’d be better off not doing it than doing it the way they’re planning.”
The map sent out to tender places a four-legged signalised intersection at the Yorkeys Knob turn-off with a two-lane, two-way overpass at the McGregor Rd intersection at Smithfield.
Mr Dixon argued both pinch points should have overpasses – especially the Yorkeys turn-off, which would need to disperse traffic to Kuranda, Caravonica and the Northern Beaches. He has organised a meeting with Barron River MP Craig Crawford to discuss the tourism industry’s position.
“We really appreciate the commitment from the State Government,” he said.
“It’s just a case of getting it right the first time rather than putting a fix in because we made a commitment.”
Cairns Chamber of Commerce president Nick Loukas raised similar concerns.
“We think it’s crazy to be throwing lights in there – we want to get them to reassess that,” he said.
“The plan was put together quite quickly and from what we’ve seen there was not extensive consultation.
“That’s fine, but they have to review it.”
Advance Cairns CEO Nick Trompf said the $152 million plan would dovetail nicely with his organisation’s long-term goal of extending the National Highway into a ring road around Cairns.
“The design is currently out to tender and I don’t believe it has been absolutely finalised,” he said.
“It’s a real positive that the state wants to get on with it quickly but at the same time it’s vital the final outcome works.”