ROAD WORK AHEAD
$100M TRAFFIC-BUSTING PROJECTS IN 2017-18
MORE than $100 million will be spent to fast-track “congestion-busting” upgrades across the city ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games.
Some of the city’s worst bottlenecks will be targeted in the work blitz, which is due to wrap up just weeks before the athletes arrive.
The major upgrades include: • $3.2 million to upgrade the intersection of Southport’s High and Smith streets, linking with the $104 million Bundall Road upgrade. • $360,000 to reseal Nielsens Road at Carrara near the Commonwealth Games sports precinct. • $650,000 to upgrade the intersection of Gold Coast highway and Waterways Drive in Main Beach. • $620,000 for the reconstruction of Beattie Road through to Foxwell Road in Upper Coomera. • $8.5 million for ongoing works on Ormeau’s Brunside Road to support the influx of development and industry.
The Main Beach intersection is one of the major bottlenecks between Southport and The Spit.
The work will come ahead of the creation of an extra lane on the Sundale Bridge – a project expected to cost $10 million – which will begin following the Games.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the rapid completion of road works across the city would reduce congestion by improving the flow of traffic for both locals and visitors.
“Our program links with major State Government road upgrades in the city and that way, we can minimise the pain for motorists by arranging council works at the same time as state road upgrades. That way, motorists aren’t inconvenienced twice,” he said.
“Most of the major road upgrades will be finished by the end of this calendar year so the city should be in the best possible shape for GC2018 next April, and for years ahead.”
The road upgrades at Upper Coomera and Oxenford are also targeted at supporting bil- lions of dollars worth of development planned for the city’s north following the Games.
This includes the $1 billion Coomera Town Centre, the $1 billion Empire Estate at Yatala and other projects in the pipeline.
The spend will be included in this month’s council budget, due to be handed down on June 19.
Major works to widen Bundall Road, which are being funded by the State, are expected to be completed before Christmas.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads will synchronise traffic lights along the route following completion of the project.
This long-awaited move is expected to create for a socalled “green wave” which will allow motorists a faster drive.
Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) chairman Peter Beattie said upgrades to the city’s roads were critical to the event’s success.
“Probably the main legacy of the Games for the Gold Coast will be a significantly improved transport system,” he said.
The works were discussed with GOLDOC and the State Government while the Games transport strategy was developed.
Under the plan, roads from Hope Island to Coolangatta will have dedicated Gamesonly lanes, plus new signs and signal changes to ensure athletes and officials don’t get caught in traffic jams.