Road fix after six-hour traffic delay

zie said. “There is a drop-off on both sides of the road. It was only three or four months ago a drilling rig was stuck there for about 24 hours.

“When you talk to Main Roads they tell us it’s very hard to fix and what they would do was to make it one lane and have a set of lights where you would have to stop.”

The Transtate Homes truck driver relocating the church said he did the slow commute regularly. Beechmont Rd was the only road Transport and Main Roads would allow them to take, he said.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesman did not answer when the road was last evaluated or future plans for that particular section.

“TMR has restrictions for oversized vehicles travelling on Beechmont Rd which require a permit prior to travel,” he said.

“The vehicle met permit requirements and we are investigating the implications of this for future wide-load access to Lower Beechmont via Beechmont Rd.

“The Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP) 2019-20 to 2022-23 includes the following investments for Beechmont Rd: $3.5 million improvement at Nerang–Murwillumbah Rd and Beechmont Rd intersection (expected delivery 2020-21); $2.624 million road rehabilitation between 3.25-4.81km (expected delivery 2019-20); $3.545 million replacement of Sharp Bridge (expected delivery 2019-20); $3.202 million replacement of Back Creek Bridge (expected delivery 2019-20).”

Member for Mudgeeraba Ros Bates said she had been working with those involved with Better Roads for Beechmont and pushing for Transport Minister Mark Bailey to fix the road.

“Beechmont Rd has had nearly $16 million spent on it since I’ve been a member,” she said. “That’s the only section which is not wide enough to paint a white line through the middle. It needs to be widened ... It will take fatalities for the Government to take notice.”

Ms Bates estimated 1km of the road would cost $12 million. THE Gold Coast needs both an upgrade of the Pacific Motorway and the Coomera Connector if gridlock is to be fixed, councillors have been told.

Gold Coast City councillors went into closed session at a transport and infrastructure committee meeting yesterday to discuss the progress on the State Government’s planned $2.4 billion second M1 between Nerang and Stapleton.

The Palaszczuk Government in the State Budget committed $10 million for the planning of the Coomera Connector with at least $4 million to be provided in the next 12 months.

The Morrison Government will provide $1 million in 2021-22, $5 million in 2022 and $4 million beyond 2022-23.

The State Government’s focus has been on several Pacific Hwy upgrades including the 10km section under way between Mudgeeraba and Varsity Lakes at a cost of $65.5 million.

The Varsity to Tugun section has $45 million allocated in 2019-20 for the six-lane upgrade.

Council in its transport strategy through to 2031 supports a Coomera Connector, but the briefing to councillors shows the green light is being pushed on planning as the highway will impact on local government feeder roads in the fast growing north.

Outside the meeting,