Published Sunday, 01 June, 2008 at 12:00 AM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier
The Honourable Anna Bligh
Minister for Main Roads and Local Government
The Honourable Warren Pitt
BLIGH DELIVERS TRAFFIC RELIEF AT TUGUN
South-East Queensland’s newest congestion-busting road was officially commissioned today at the opening ceremony of the $543 million Tugun Bypass.
Premier Anna Bligh - who opened the $333 million Inner Northern Busway in Brisbane last month - joined Gold Coast and Tweed families today in a ‘wet walk’ of the 7km bypass.
“The weather may have threatened to dampen the parade today, but there are plenty of people out to experience this congestion-busting road on foot before it opens to traffic,” Ms Bligh said.
“Weather permitting, this bypass will be open to motorists tomorrow and will mean the drive from the NSW border will be without a set of traffic lights for over 270km – all the way to Gympie.
“And it will cut up to 20 minutes off the travel time between Currumbin and Tweed Heads – reducing it to about 5 minutes.
“This project is on budget and six months ahead of schedule. That means it opens ahead of the Queens’ Birthday long weekend and the school holidays.
“We are spending $1.6 million of every hour of every day building and rebuilding this state’s infrastructure.
“It is on days like today we can all see the real benefits of that investment.”
The Premier was joined by Deputy Premier Paul Lucas, Main Roads Minister Warren Pitt and Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese for the community celebration.
“The Queensland Government funded the $543 million Tugun Bypass because it recognised the enormous benefits it would bring to the Gold Coast,” she said.
“It has been a long and difficult process to get to this point but we will see immediate benefits when traffic starts using the bypass.
“This road will carry between 35,000 and 40,000 vehicles a day, with daily traffic set to rise to 60,000 cars a day by 2017,” she said.
The new route is expected to save $59 million in avoided accidents over 30 years and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.5 per cent by 2017.
"The travel-time savings and reduced vehicle operating costs as a result of the Tugun Bypass are expected to amount to some $1.9 billion," Ms Bligh said.
“This is a project that is good for everyone, for the long-suffering motorists and residents of the southern Gold Coast and the environment."
Ms Bligh said tackling congestion was a top priority for her government.
"Despite all the obstacles, the Queensland Government was determined to get this bypass built and we committed $423 million to its construction, while our New South Wales counterparts failed to kick in even a single cent,” she said.
The Federal Government contributed $120 million to the project.
Mr Albanese said the Tugun Bypass represented a major breakthrough for travellers on one of Australia’s busiest interstate routes.
“Freight movement between Brisbane and Sydney will be significantly improved by the Tugun Bypass,” he said.
“It may only be seven kilometres of road but to truckies, the saving in time and frustration by avoiding a notorious bottleneck will bring a smile to their faces.
“And that doesn’t only apply to Queensland truck drivers and motorists heading south across the border.
“This road will be as beneficial for the people of northern New South Wales as it will be for Queenslanders.”
Mr Pitt said the bypass also reflected the Bligh Government's willingness to build significant infrastructure that catered for Queensland's unprecedented population growth – both now and in the future.
“Main Roads will spend more than $13 billion on roadworks over the next five years as we plan for the future and build tomorrow’s Queensland today,” he said.
"We all know that Queensland is Australia’s fastest-growing state, and that the Gold Coast is the fastest-growing region.
"The Tugun Bypass has been built to cater for this growth and to eliminate a congestion hotspot on the southern Gold Coast.”
Media: Premier’s Office 3224 4500 or 3227 8851 (Minister Pitt’s office)
Premier Anna Bligh - who opened the $333 million Inner Northern Busway in Brisbane last month - joined Gold Coast and Tweed families today in a ‘wet walk’ of the 7km bypass.
“The weather may have threatened to dampen the parade today, but there are plenty of people out to experience this congestion-busting road on foot before it opens to traffic,” Ms Bligh said.
“Weather permitting, this bypass will be open to motorists tomorrow and will mean the drive from the NSW border will be without a set of traffic lights for over 270km – all the way to Gympie.
“And it will cut up to 20 minutes off the travel time between Currumbin and Tweed Heads – reducing it to about 5 minutes.
“This project is on budget and six months ahead of schedule. That means it opens ahead of the Queens’ Birthday long weekend and the school holidays.
“We are spending $1.6 million of every hour of every day building and rebuilding this state’s infrastructure.
“It is on days like today we can all see the real benefits of that investment.”
The Premier was joined by Deputy Premier Paul Lucas, Main Roads Minister Warren Pitt and Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese for the community celebration.
“The Queensland Government funded the $543 million Tugun Bypass because it recognised the enormous benefits it would bring to the Gold Coast,” she said.
“It has been a long and difficult process to get to this point but we will see immediate benefits when traffic starts using the bypass.
“This road will carry between 35,000 and 40,000 vehicles a day, with daily traffic set to rise to 60,000 cars a day by 2017,” she said.
The new route is expected to save $59 million in avoided accidents over 30 years and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.5 per cent by 2017.
"The travel-time savings and reduced vehicle operating costs as a result of the Tugun Bypass are expected to amount to some $1.9 billion," Ms Bligh said.
“This is a project that is good for everyone, for the long-suffering motorists and residents of the southern Gold Coast and the environment."
Ms Bligh said tackling congestion was a top priority for her government.
"Despite all the obstacles, the Queensland Government was determined to get this bypass built and we committed $423 million to its construction, while our New South Wales counterparts failed to kick in even a single cent,” she said.
The Federal Government contributed $120 million to the project.
Mr Albanese said the Tugun Bypass represented a major breakthrough for travellers on one of Australia’s busiest interstate routes.
“Freight movement between Brisbane and Sydney will be significantly improved by the Tugun Bypass,” he said.
“It may only be seven kilometres of road but to truckies, the saving in time and frustration by avoiding a notorious bottleneck will bring a smile to their faces.
“And that doesn’t only apply to Queensland truck drivers and motorists heading south across the border.
“This road will be as beneficial for the people of northern New South Wales as it will be for Queenslanders.”
Mr Pitt said the bypass also reflected the Bligh Government's willingness to build significant infrastructure that catered for Queensland's unprecedented population growth – both now and in the future.
“Main Roads will spend more than $13 billion on roadworks over the next five years as we plan for the future and build tomorrow’s Queensland today,” he said.
"We all know that Queensland is Australia’s fastest-growing state, and that the Gold Coast is the fastest-growing region.
"The Tugun Bypass has been built to cater for this growth and to eliminate a congestion hotspot on the southern Gold Coast.”
Media: Premier’s Office 3224 4500 or 3227 8851 (Minister Pitt’s office)