Works on Samford Wardell intersection complete

Published Friday, 31 October, 2014 at 12:45 PM

JOINT STATEMENT

Premier
The Honourable Campbell Newman

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

Families in the Ashgrove electorate will have a safer drive to and from work and school, following the completion of the long-awaited Samford Road and Wardell Street intersection upgrade.

Premier and Member for Ashgrove Campbell Newman said his $65 million election promise had been delivered on time and on budget, meaning all of his local election commitments had been delivered in his first term as Local Member for Ashgrove.

“The completion of this project is a massive milestone for the Ashgrove electorate and I know that local families are thrilled to see the safety of this intersection improved,” Mr Newman said.

“We are working hard to deliver better infrastructure, as we promised, as part of our strong plan for Queensland.

“More importantly though, road upgrades like this will mean a mum or dad can return home to their families from work, safer and quicker.

“As a government we have delivered this project for $25 million less than what was proposed by the previous Labor Government.

“We have listened to residents and their feedback and have delivered a good, practical design that will serve this community well for years to come.

“This upgrade will give commuters an average saving of six to eight minutes every single day.”

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the completed project would benefit tens of thousands of drivers who use the intersection each day.

“This upgrade will improve traffic flow and reduce the amount of vehicles rat racing to avoid congestion,” Mr Emerson said.

“We’ve also made bus stops safer for passengers, wider footpaths for pedestrians and cyclists and new access to the Gallipoli Barracks from Samford Road to help tackle local congestions.”

General Manager of local business Platinum Electrical Arron Cluff said that as a local service based business, any time saved through improved traffic flow and road networks has a direct positive impact on his business.

“Time spent in traffic is costly lost time for our business and this upgrade will reduce travel time as we access our wide network of customers and suppliers in the local area,” Mr Cluff said.

“During the construction stages of the intersection upgrade we experienced no major delays in accessing the local road network even during peak hour.”

All roadworks on the Samford Road and Wardell Street intersection are now finished with some continuing activity around nearby properties in the coming month.

[ENDS] 31 October 2014                                           Media contact: Stephanie Shield 0418 186 625