Riverside Expressway resurfacing works ahead of schedule

Resurfacing work on Brisbane's Riverside Expressway is ahead of schedule, meaning the road will be only partially closed to traffic this weekend as work progresses.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Paul Lucas said that after the great progress made on the project last weekend, this weekend's works would go ahead with only the southbound side of the expressway affected.

"The resurfacing work is 75 per cent completed, which is well ahead of schedule because we were expecting to only complete around 50 per cent in one weekend," Mr Lucas said.

“Because of this good progress, only the Riverside Expressway southbound will be closed this weekend, from Herschel Street to the VictoriaBridge, between 10pm Friday to 5am Monday,” Mr Lucas said.

“Main Roads advised me that the light showers forecasted for this weekend should not interfere with the progress of the work.”

However Main Roads would continue to liaise with the bureau throughout the week to get the most up-to-date forecast, and a final decision on whether the work would proceed would be made on Thursday.

"If the contractors experience minor delays because of showers, there will still be enough time to complete the job," Mr Lucas said.

The Riverside Expressway runs alongside the BrisbaneRiver in the CBD, on the opposite side of the river from South Bank.

The Alice Street on-ramp southbound to the Captain Cook Bridge and M1 will remain open during this weekend's works and will provide access to the southern suburbs and Pacific Motorway from the Brisbane CBD.

“It will not be possible for motorists to use North Quay or the Ann Street ramp to access the Riverside Expressway for southern journeys. Because only the Alice Street ramp will be used, there will be delays in inner-city traffic.

“I apologise for any inconvenience that this might cause to motorists but this should be minimised as the CaptainCookBridge and the full north-bound Riverside Expressway will be operating.”

“Southbound traffic from north Brisbane should use the StoryBridge and WilliamJollyBridge to access the southern suburbs and motorway during this time to reduce traffic congestion around the worksite,” Mr Lucas said.

“Northbound traffic on the expressway will not be affected by these closures, and access to the Brisbane CBD and Coronation Drive will be maintained.”

Mr Lucas said these works were the second stage of the resurfacing project, which started last weekend.

“Further work is expected to be carried out on the expressway from Friday 13 October to Monday 16 October to complete the resurfacing," he said.

"If this coming weekend's work goes ahead according to schedule, it's expected the final weekend will only involving closing the northbound side of the expressway from VictoriaBridge to WilliamJollyBridge."

This $5 million project involves removing the existing asphalt surface laid when the road was constructed nearly 30 years ago and laying a new asphalt surface.

This will provide motorists with a smoother driving surface as well as improving skid resistance and restoring the protective coating to the bridge decks.

Motorists are again being advised to plan ahead for the closures.

"We are continuing to work with police and other agencies to minimise disruptions to motorists," Mr Lucas said.

"Motorists who will be affected by this weekend's partial southbound closure should start planning their journeys now and I would encourage them to consider public transport if they travel to and from the Brisbane CBD on the weekend.

“I recognise last weekend's works caused traffic delays despite the extensive public information campaign the department has run over the past month, and I appreciate people's patience while these essential works take place.

"Radio and newspapers advertisements have been running since the beginning of September, along with 94 variable message signs around the city advising motorists of the closures.

"We had staff on hand over the weekend at the Brisbane Traffic Centre and at the worksite to liaise with traffic controllers and send traffic updates to radio stations to resolve any bottlenecks that developed."

He said while this weekend's closures would not be as extensive, motorists should still expect delays and leave extra time for their trips.

The Brisbane Metropolitan Transport Management Centre will be able to provide information on traffic detours to motorists who call the Brisbane traffic hotline, 13 19 40.

Information about the closures is available at www.mainroads.qld.gov.au.

Media Contact: Mark Strong 0417 767 436