Boggo Road Busway brought forward 3 years

Construction of the new $217 million Boggo Road busway has been brought forward and the busway will be operational by mid-2009.

Plans for completing the busway were released today by the Deputy Premier, Anna Bligh, and Transport and Main Roads Minister, Paul Lucas.

The 1.5km busway will run from Ipswich Road, Woolloongabba, past PrincessAlexandraHospital to Park Road Rail Station, then in tunnel under the Boggo Road Gaol and Annerley Road to the new EleanorSchonellBridge and QueenslandUniversity.

Ms Bligh said construction had been brought forward by three years in response to community demand for public transport services and to minimise inconvenience for local residents.

"This busway will provide a direct link from the southern and eastern suburbs to QueenslandUniversity and St Lucia, relieving traffic congestion on the Riverside Expressway and Coronation Drive," she said.

"It will link with the Gold Coast and Cleveland rail lines at Park Road Rail Station.

"This is a vital part of the Beattie Government's busway network that will redefine and rejuvenate public transport in Brisbane," Ms Bligh said.

She said the final plan was the result of extensive consultation with the DuttonPark community, including the DuttonParkStateSchool community.

"The question of covering the Park Road bus station is still under investigation, this will be determined by a detailed air quality investigation by the Queensland University of Technology and further consultation with the community.

"Further consultation willalso take place to determine the design of a connection from the busway to the Eleanor Schonell Bridge Link Road, and a high quality bus stop in DuttonPark," Ms Bligh said.

Mr Lucas said construction commenced in May this year on the eastern alignment of the busway near PrincessAlexandraHospital, but work on the western alignment was delayed until the consultation process was complete.

"The State Government is determined to ensure the busway alignment is sensitive to the needs of the local community, including the DuttonPark school community," he said.

"Following consultation, the proposed busway portal onto Annerley Road has been removed, the bus station moved a further 12 metres away from the school, and a driven tunnel from the Boggo Road Gaol to the EleanorSchonellBridge has been included in the project.

"There will be a busway station at Park Road Rail Station, allowing for easy passenger transfers between bus and rail services, and another busway station at PrincessAlexandraHospital," Mr Lucas said.

He said the Boggo Road Busway will provide more efficient, safe, direct and reliable transport options for travellers; better integration of transport services and reduced traffic congestion.

"It will attract even more people to use our fantastic busway system and leave their cars at home, and that will mean reduced greenhouse gas emissions as well as less traffic on our roads – every full bus removes up to 40 cars from the streets," Mr Lucas said.

“The busway will transport around 13,000 passengers a day from the eastern and southern suburbs directly to the University of Queensland, reducing travel times by up to 40 minutes and removing buses from local streets, freeing up traffic flow for everyone.

"Like our train system, the busway network gives passengers a congestion-free ride on fast, frequent and reliable services.

"As the busway network unfolds, passengers will be able to travel on a bus from one side of the city to the other without leaving their seat.

"More than 1,800 jobs will be created by the Boggo Road Busway," Mr Lucas said.

He said Queensland Transport had established an Alliance with Thiess Pty Ltd and Sinclair Knight Merz for construction of the busway.

For more information about the Boggo Road Busway, phone 1800 440 584, visit www.translink.com.au/boggoroad or email boggoroad@transport.qld.gov.au.