‘There will be a fatality’
Residents plead for turning lanes on Kennedy Highway
TABLELANDERS living and working beside the Kennedy Highway at Tolga and Walkamin are pleading with the Department of Transport and Main Roads to include turning lanes in the route’s planned upgrade.
Giovanna Griffiths, who owns The Humpy in Tolga, witnesses close calls every day and said it was only a matter of time before there was a fatal crash involving a turning vehicle.
“This road carries an enormous amount of traffic — cane trucks and big transports — and we need turning lanes because of the speed cars come through here,” she said.
“I’ve owned The Humpy for 18 years. During that time there’s been 18 years of population growth and 18 years more traffic, but nothing has been done to this section and there will be a fatalRac
“We are losing business because people are too scared to turn in here and might have to wait 10 minutes before they get back onto the highway.”
Hill MP Shane Knuth wrote to TMR after an accident near Tolga on August 31 — which involved a turning vehicle — involved injured children flown to hospitals in Cairns and Townsville.
“While we appreciate and acknowledge the funds for the works that have been taking place between Atherton and Walkamin there needs to be more focus on turning lanes where there is increased traffic,” he said.
LNP candidate Nick Cuda is to lobby for busy intersections — including Beantree Road and outside Tolga State School — to be upgraded if he wins office on October 31. “They’re black spots and it’s almost impossible to get back onto the highway during the peak,” he said. “Instead of doing a patch-up we need to spend the right amount of money to fix the problem.”
The Australian and Queensland governments have provided $37.5m to fund the current upgrade, which involves safety features between Atherton and Mareeba. Work is expected to be completed by mid 2021.