Budget paves the way for road safety improvements

Date: Tuesday, 21st July 2009

A series of new traffic signals and roundabouts in black spot areas will feature heavily in this year’s spending on road safety improvements.

A total of $1.45 million has been allocated to installing traffic lights at numerous problem intersections including:

•  Kern Brothers Dr/Dalrymple Rd
•  Hugh St/Attlee St
•  Ingham Rd/Duckworth St
•  Sturt St/Knapp St
•  Sturt St/Stanley St
•  Ingham Rd/Pilkington St

Infrastructure Committee chair Cr Brian Hewett said the Budget also included $1.57 million for roundabouts to improve traffic flow at a number of key intersections.

“This will include funding for two known blackspots in North Ward at the intersections of Howitt St and Rose St, as well as Landsborough St and Cook St,” Cr Hewett said.

The Budget will also fund roundabouts at the intersections of Annandale Dr/Macarthur Dr, Crauford St/Harold St and Pilkington St/Carmel St/Mackley St.

Cr Hewett said school safety would also remain high on the agenda.

“We’re mindful of continually building on our safety work in and around schools, and we understand how important this is for the thousands of children who travel to school every day, as well as their families,” Cr Hewett said.

Work will include the construction of a free carpark at the corner of Eyre St and Oxley St on the old State Government Dental Clinic site ($500,000), an improvement to pedestrian safety at the frontage of St Anthony’s School at Deeragun ($310,000), an extension of the set-down area at the Weir State School ($20,000), and the construction of a shared pathway on Greenwood Dr near the Willows State School ($72,600).

A number of other shared pathways will also be built with a funding allocation of $1.95 million to improve the city’s pedestrian and cycling network.

This will include the completion of a pathway from Willows Shopping Centre to the Dairy Farmers Stadium, as well as new shared pathways along Stuart Dr, Bamford Ln, Riverway Dr, Pioneer Dr, Yolanda Dr, Oxley St, Tippett St, Castling St, and Elizabeth St.

Media Information: Cr Brian Hewett 0410 328 382