Published Tuesday, 03 June, 2008 at 03:53 PM
Minister for Main Roads and Local Government
The Honourable Warren Pitt
State Budget funding to help tackle urban congestion
A $3.235 billion boost in road funding will drive continued progress on the Queensland Government’s plan to tackle urban traffic congestion, Main Roads Minister Warren Pitt said today.
“This Budget delivers for Queensland motorists,” Mr Pitt said.
“Over the next financial year, $3.235 billion will provide for road improvements and other initiatives across Queensland, as part of the state’s continuing infrastructure investment.
“Much of this funding will be directed towards major infrastructure projects already underway that will help Queensland manage the impacts of rapid population growth, and the ongoing challenge of traffic congestion.
“It means more funding to keep building the critical infrastructure already being constructed across Queensland, and more funding to enhance our planning for future growth.”
The 2008-09 investment for Main Roads – including Queensland Motorways Limited and RoadTek – is a six per cent increase on the 2007-08 Budget.
The funding increase means that more than $60 million will be spent on building and preserving Queensland roads each week throughout 2008-09.
The record spending includes:
• $2.462 billion for Main Roads' capital works program
• $682 million for works being delivered by Queensland Motorways Limited, including the $1.88 billion Gateway Upgrade Project
• $51 million in grants to local governments for local road improvements, as part of the Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS).
Mr Pitt said the Budget would steer a number of major projects in south-east and regional Queensland towards completion in the 2008-09 financial year.
“This week the Queensland Government is opening the $543 million Tugun Bypass, which will cut travelling times between Currumbin and Tweed Heads to five minutes,” Mr Pitt said.
“It is a state-of-the-art road designed to slash the costs and impacts of congestion, and it’s the first in a series of such projects that will come online during the next 12 months.
“By early next year the first stage of the long-awaited Ipswich Motorway upgrade will be complete at Goodna, with motorists using additional lanes and new, safer left-side merging ramps.
“Also ahead is completion of the Sunshine Motorway upgrade, the Centenary Highway extension from Springfield through to Yamanto, Mackay’s new Hospital Bridge and North Ward Road in Townsville.
“These new and upgraded road connections will form part of a road network that provides safer, more efficient and more convenient transport for Queenslanders.
“The 2008-09 roads Budget reflects a level of funding that will increase transport efficiency and improve safety for Queensland motorists.”
Major projects highlighted in the State Budget include:
• $537.6 million to continue construction of a second Gateway Bridge and to increase capacity on the Gateway Motorway between Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road and Nudgee Road, at a total estimated cost of $1.883 billion
• $200 million towards the federally funded Ipswich Motorway upgrade between Wacol and Darra, at a total estimated cost of $700 million
• $168.7 million towards the Centenary Highway duplication between Springfield and Darra, in conjunction with the Darra to Springfield rail extension, at a total estimated cost of $414.6 million
• $150 million towards the construction of the new Houghton Highway Bridge between Brighton and Redcliffe, at a total estimated cost of $315 million
• $100 million towards completion of the federally funded Ipswich/Logan motorways interchange, at a total estimated cost of $255 million
• $70.7 million to upgrade the Pacific Motorway between the Gateway Motorway and the Logan Motorway and between Nerang and Tugun, at a total estimated cost of $910 million (funded equally by the Australian and Queensland governments)
• $66 million towards the duplication of Forgan Bridge in Mackay, at a total estimated cost of $128 million
• $50 million to improve flood immunity on the federally funded Bruce Highway between Corduroy Creek and Tully High School, at a total estimated cost of $172.4 million
• $42.3 million towards stages two and three of the Townsville Ring Road, at a total estimated cost of $119.2 million ($39.8 million – State, $79.5 million – Australian Government)
• $34.5 million towards construction of the Bundaberg Ring Road, at a total estimated cost of $92 million
• $32.4 million for construction of the Pacific Paradise interchange and access to David Low Way on the Sunshine Motorway, west of Pacific Paradise, at a total estimated cost of $85 million
• $27.2 million to widen Caloundra Road to four lanes between the Bruce Highway and Pierce Avenue, west of Caloundra, at a total estimated cost of $80 million
• $24.4 million to construct a bridge and approaches at Mulgrave River, south of Cairns, on the federally funded Bruce Highway, at a total estimated cost of $50 million
• $24 million in federal funding to widen the Bruce Highway in Gympie to four lanes between Kidgell Street and Pine Street, at a total estimated cost of $70.8 million
• $20 million to widen the Gold Coast Highway to four lanes between Government Road and Robert Street, at a total estimated cost of $128 million
• $20 million towards the federally funded Ipswich Motorway for planning and land acquisitions for the upgrade to six lanes between Dinmore and Goodna, at a total estimated cost of $50 million
• $20 million to accelerate planning on the Gateway Motorway’s missing links – the northern section between Nudgee Road and the Bruce Highway, and the southern section from Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road to the Pacific Motorway
• $18 million to continue widening to four lanes in sections between Santa Barbara Road and Columbus Drive, on Hope Island Road, at a total estimated cost of $109 million
• $17 million to widen the remaining two-lane sections of North Ward Road to four lanes between Walker Street and Gregory Street on the northern approach to Townsville City, at a total estimated cost of $19 million
• $12.1 million towards paving and sealing the Roma-Taroom Road to support oil and gas development and improve regional community access, at a total estimated cost of $29.7 million
• $11.6 million towards construction of the Hospital Bridge in Mackay, at a total estimated cost of $33.6 million
• $10.7 million to widen the New England Highway and realign the highway at the Pechey Range, at a total estimated cost of $12.6 million
• $10 million to widen the New England Highway between Munro Road and Pioneer Road, south of Crows Nest, at a total estimated cost of $13.6 million
• $10 million to commence realignment of the Dawson Highway at the Calliope Range, at a total estimated cost of $70 million
• $9.1 million to continue design and construction of the jointly funded Townsville Port Access Road, at a total estimated cost of $190 million
• $7.5 million to complete the replacement of the Ward River and Woolshed Gully bridges with a single 260-metre-long, six-metre high, dual-lane bridge on the Diamantina Developmental Road, west of Charleville, at a total estimated cost of $15 million
• $7.4 million to widen, repair and strengthen the Flinders Highway at Jardine Valley, between Charters Towers and Hughenden, at a total estimated cost of $8.8 million
• $6.3 million to reconstruct the pavement on the Dawson Highway between Meteor Creek North and Three Chain Road, at a total estimated cost of $6.7 million
• $6.1 million to repair, strengthen and widen the D'Aguilar Highway between Villeneuve Road and Arnolds Road North, east of Kilcoy, at a total estimated cost of $6.3 million
• $5.5 million for paving and sealing sections of the Wills Developmental Road between Gregory and the Doomadgee turnoff, south of Burketown, at a total estimated cost of $7.5 million
• $3.1 million for paving and sealing three sections of the Diamantina Developmental Road between Windorah and Bedourie, at a total estimated cost of $4.4 million.
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819
“This Budget delivers for Queensland motorists,” Mr Pitt said.
“Over the next financial year, $3.235 billion will provide for road improvements and other initiatives across Queensland, as part of the state’s continuing infrastructure investment.
“Much of this funding will be directed towards major infrastructure projects already underway that will help Queensland manage the impacts of rapid population growth, and the ongoing challenge of traffic congestion.
“It means more funding to keep building the critical infrastructure already being constructed across Queensland, and more funding to enhance our planning for future growth.”
The 2008-09 investment for Main Roads – including Queensland Motorways Limited and RoadTek – is a six per cent increase on the 2007-08 Budget.
The funding increase means that more than $60 million will be spent on building and preserving Queensland roads each week throughout 2008-09.
The record spending includes:
• $2.462 billion for Main Roads' capital works program
• $682 million for works being delivered by Queensland Motorways Limited, including the $1.88 billion Gateway Upgrade Project
• $51 million in grants to local governments for local road improvements, as part of the Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme (TIDS).
Mr Pitt said the Budget would steer a number of major projects in south-east and regional Queensland towards completion in the 2008-09 financial year.
“This week the Queensland Government is opening the $543 million Tugun Bypass, which will cut travelling times between Currumbin and Tweed Heads to five minutes,” Mr Pitt said.
“It is a state-of-the-art road designed to slash the costs and impacts of congestion, and it’s the first in a series of such projects that will come online during the next 12 months.
“By early next year the first stage of the long-awaited Ipswich Motorway upgrade will be complete at Goodna, with motorists using additional lanes and new, safer left-side merging ramps.
“Also ahead is completion of the Sunshine Motorway upgrade, the Centenary Highway extension from Springfield through to Yamanto, Mackay’s new Hospital Bridge and North Ward Road in Townsville.
“These new and upgraded road connections will form part of a road network that provides safer, more efficient and more convenient transport for Queenslanders.
“The 2008-09 roads Budget reflects a level of funding that will increase transport efficiency and improve safety for Queensland motorists.”
Major projects highlighted in the State Budget include:
• $537.6 million to continue construction of a second Gateway Bridge and to increase capacity on the Gateway Motorway between Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road and Nudgee Road, at a total estimated cost of $1.883 billion
• $200 million towards the federally funded Ipswich Motorway upgrade between Wacol and Darra, at a total estimated cost of $700 million
• $168.7 million towards the Centenary Highway duplication between Springfield and Darra, in conjunction with the Darra to Springfield rail extension, at a total estimated cost of $414.6 million
• $150 million towards the construction of the new Houghton Highway Bridge between Brighton and Redcliffe, at a total estimated cost of $315 million
• $100 million towards completion of the federally funded Ipswich/Logan motorways interchange, at a total estimated cost of $255 million
• $70.7 million to upgrade the Pacific Motorway between the Gateway Motorway and the Logan Motorway and between Nerang and Tugun, at a total estimated cost of $910 million (funded equally by the Australian and Queensland governments)
• $66 million towards the duplication of Forgan Bridge in Mackay, at a total estimated cost of $128 million
• $50 million to improve flood immunity on the federally funded Bruce Highway between Corduroy Creek and Tully High School, at a total estimated cost of $172.4 million
• $42.3 million towards stages two and three of the Townsville Ring Road, at a total estimated cost of $119.2 million ($39.8 million – State, $79.5 million – Australian Government)
• $34.5 million towards construction of the Bundaberg Ring Road, at a total estimated cost of $92 million
• $32.4 million for construction of the Pacific Paradise interchange and access to David Low Way on the Sunshine Motorway, west of Pacific Paradise, at a total estimated cost of $85 million
• $27.2 million to widen Caloundra Road to four lanes between the Bruce Highway and Pierce Avenue, west of Caloundra, at a total estimated cost of $80 million
• $24.4 million to construct a bridge and approaches at Mulgrave River, south of Cairns, on the federally funded Bruce Highway, at a total estimated cost of $50 million
• $24 million in federal funding to widen the Bruce Highway in Gympie to four lanes between Kidgell Street and Pine Street, at a total estimated cost of $70.8 million
• $20 million to widen the Gold Coast Highway to four lanes between Government Road and Robert Street, at a total estimated cost of $128 million
• $20 million towards the federally funded Ipswich Motorway for planning and land acquisitions for the upgrade to six lanes between Dinmore and Goodna, at a total estimated cost of $50 million
• $20 million to accelerate planning on the Gateway Motorway’s missing links – the northern section between Nudgee Road and the Bruce Highway, and the southern section from Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road to the Pacific Motorway
• $18 million to continue widening to four lanes in sections between Santa Barbara Road and Columbus Drive, on Hope Island Road, at a total estimated cost of $109 million
• $17 million to widen the remaining two-lane sections of North Ward Road to four lanes between Walker Street and Gregory Street on the northern approach to Townsville City, at a total estimated cost of $19 million
• $12.1 million towards paving and sealing the Roma-Taroom Road to support oil and gas development and improve regional community access, at a total estimated cost of $29.7 million
• $11.6 million towards construction of the Hospital Bridge in Mackay, at a total estimated cost of $33.6 million
• $10.7 million to widen the New England Highway and realign the highway at the Pechey Range, at a total estimated cost of $12.6 million
• $10 million to widen the New England Highway between Munro Road and Pioneer Road, south of Crows Nest, at a total estimated cost of $13.6 million
• $10 million to commence realignment of the Dawson Highway at the Calliope Range, at a total estimated cost of $70 million
• $9.1 million to continue design and construction of the jointly funded Townsville Port Access Road, at a total estimated cost of $190 million
• $7.5 million to complete the replacement of the Ward River and Woolshed Gully bridges with a single 260-metre-long, six-metre high, dual-lane bridge on the Diamantina Developmental Road, west of Charleville, at a total estimated cost of $15 million
• $7.4 million to widen, repair and strengthen the Flinders Highway at Jardine Valley, between Charters Towers and Hughenden, at a total estimated cost of $8.8 million
• $6.3 million to reconstruct the pavement on the Dawson Highway between Meteor Creek North and Three Chain Road, at a total estimated cost of $6.7 million
• $6.1 million to repair, strengthen and widen the D'Aguilar Highway between Villeneuve Road and Arnolds Road North, east of Kilcoy, at a total estimated cost of $6.3 million
• $5.5 million for paving and sealing sections of the Wills Developmental Road between Gregory and the Doomadgee turnoff, south of Burketown, at a total estimated cost of $7.5 million
• $3.1 million for paving and sealing three sections of the Diamantina Developmental Road between Windorah and Bedourie, at a total estimated cost of $4.4 million.
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819