$3.15 million for safer Gold Coast roads

Gold Coast motorists will benefit from speed and red light camera fines with local roads receiving a $3.15 million road safety boost, Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Paul Lucas, announced today.

“Eight Gold Coast projects are among 77 high priority road safety initiatives to share in more than $46 million statewide under the Beattie Government’s Safer Roads Sooner program.

“It puts fines collected from motorists for speed and red light camera offences back into road safety to save lives,” Mr Lucas said.

Safer Roads Sooner funding for the Gold Coast in 2008-09 includes:

·$150,000 in 2008-09 for intersection improvements for Southport-Burleigh Road/Benowa Road in Gold Coast City. Works involve installing non-skid surface for both approaches of Southport-Burleigh Road.

·$250,000 in 2008-09 for intersection improvements for the Gold Coast Highway/Arundel Drive in Gold Coast City. Works involve modifying signals for right turns, extending the right-turn lane and installing non-skid surface.

·$400,000 in 2008-09 for intersection improvements for Burleigh Connection Road/Taree Street/Executive Drive in Gold Coast City. Works involve modifying signals and extending right-turn lanes.

·$300,000 in 2008-09 for intersection improvements for the Gold Coast Highway/Terminal Drive in Gold Coast City. Works involve extending the northbound right-turn lane on the southern approach of the Gold Coast Highway.

·$650,000 in 2008-09 for safety improvements on Beaudesert-Beenleigh Road in Gold Coast City. Works involve reconstructing road shoulders, improving road markings, curve warning signs and removing roadside hazards.

·$600,000 in 2008-09 for intersection improvements on the Gold Coast Highway/North Street in Gold Coast City. Works involve modifying signals and extending the southbound right-turn lane.

·$300,000 in 2008-09 for intersection improvements for Southport-Burleigh Road/Karp Court in Gold Coast City. Works involve modifying traffic signals and extending the southbound right-turn lane.

·$500,000 in 2008-09 for intersection improvements for Tallebudgera Creek Road/Tallebudgera Connection Road in Gold Coast City. Works involve installing traffic signals.

261 safety projects in total have been approved since 2005 by the Safer Roads Sooner Ministerial Advisory Committee chaired by Parliamentary secretary for Main Roads, Andrew McNamara.

Professor Mary Sheehan from Queensland University of Technology's accident research group, CARRS-Q and the RACQ are among the committee’s panel of road safety experts and key decision makers.

“To qualify for a share of the more than $46 million in funding, projects must have clear potential to help reduce the road toll.

“We’ve targeted projects which will make the biggest impact on road safety,” Mr McNamara said.

Mr Lucas said the Safer Roads Sooner strategy aims to reduce Queensland's road toll through smart investment in better road infrastructure.

“The money we receive in fines from motorists who speed and run red lights is being spent where it can do the most good – saving lives and debilitating injuries on Queensland roads.

“We’re putting the proceeds of traffic fines to work on building safer roads.

“It’s a sound investment in the state’s future,” Mr Lucas said