Community celebrates opening of Caboolture Bypass

Caboolture residents will celebrate the easing of congestion through their town with a leisurely walk across the new Caboolture Bypass’s Showground bridge today (Sunday 18 November).

Main Roads Minister Warren Pitt said the 400m bridge was part of the Queensland Government-funded bypass, which is worth $89 million and provides a new two-lane deviation of the D’Aguilar Highway between the Bruce Highway and Old Gympie Road.

The project, which is scheduled to be opened to traffic by early December, links with the Bruce Highway via the northern section of the Caboolture-Bribie Island interchange, which has also undergone a $40.2 million, Federal Government-funded upgrade.

Mr Pitt joins with Member for Glass House Carolyn Male, Member for Pumicestone Carryn Sullivan and the local community at the official opening of the Caboolture Bypass today at a community event.

Ms Male said the event allowed the community to celebrate the completion of the major road project, which would improve safety and reduce congestion in Caboolture.

"Currently, 27,600 vehicles travel through the Caboolture CBD each day and this bypass is expected to remove up to 12,500 vehicles from the town, especially heavy vehicles,” she said.

“The bypass will increase road freight efficiency and ease congestion on Lower King Street including the Mewett Street roundabout.

“The bypass will also enhance access to the Bruce and D'Aguilar highways and local industrial centres.

“This will be achieved through various features of the project including bridges over the Showground and Lagoon Creek and an interchange at Pumicestone Road.”

Mrs Sullivan said Lagoon Creek was an important waterway to the Caboolture community and was the site of a heritage-listed weir constructed in 1913 to provide water for steam locomotives.

"Main Roads has worked closely with the community to ensure every effort has been made to preserve this valuable community asset,” she said.

"This ensured areas disturbed by the construction of the Lagoon Creek bridge were mulched and reseeded with locally collected native plant seed.”

“The State Government also worked with Caboolture Shire Council to soften the visual impact of the 400m Showground bridge, which crosses the northern part of Caboolture.

“A design of rivers and leaves has been chosen as the theme and this design was transferred to the pre-cast parapets and covered with anti-graffiti paint.

“The overall theme of heritage and reflections will flow through the colour schemes and murals on the new pedestrian underpass at Manley Street.”

Stage one of the bypass, between the D'Aguilar Highway at Moodlu and Old Gympie Road, opened to traffic in July 2003.

Media contacts:
Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819 or 0408 701 379
Mrs Sullivan’s Office 3408 6436
Ms Male’s Office 5495 2666 or 0408 727 711