Construction has begun on the $80 million Sumners Road interchange upgrade in west Brisbane.
Works will include removing the existing bridge and replacing it with two new bridges, with a total of six lanes. A bike underpass will be built alongside two of the city’s busiest roads, and existing roundabouts will be replaced with signalised intersections.
Arup won the design contract for the intersection in early 2018 and the project is expected to take around three years to complete.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said it was great to see construction starting on the project which will create 105 jobs.
“More than 35,000 vehicles use this stretch of road daily and with a growing population, this upgrade is vital,” Mr. Bailey said.
He said the Sumners Road interchange upgrade was cut by the previous government.
“We’ve put it back on Queensland’s build list and have expanded the scope of the project so there are additional facilities for bike riders too,” Mr. Bailey said.
Member for Mount Ommaney Jess Pugh said the start of works follows a $15 million boost to the project announced in the recent State Budget.
“I’m proud that we’ve been able to secure a greater investment for the Mount Ommaney community. It means we’re now able to build a new westbound, four-lane bridge alongside initial plans for a new two-lane bridge,” Ms. Pugh said.
Bicycle Queensland advocacy spokesperson Andrew Demack said the bikeway underpass would be a great safety improvement.
“This upgrade doesn’t just increase the capacity of the road network, it also lets more people choose to get to their destination quicker and safer by bicycle,” Mr. Demack said.
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