Community Hopeful for Action on North Townsville Road Upgrade Under New Government

21 November 2024

Local and state government representatives and community members have united to call on the LNP government to prioritise the long-overdue North Townsville Road, North Shore Boulevard to Ingham Road safety and capacity planning upgrade project.

With the first State parliamentary sitting under the new government set to begin next week, local representatives and residents are hopeful this vital project will finally move forward. Despite years of advocacy, previous Labor Ministers failed to recognise the urgency of addressing notorious intersections along the route, including those at Ingham Road, Deeragun/Garland Road, Shaw Road, and North Shore Boulevard.

Preliminary planning for the project has been completed but remains unreleased, leaving the business case, and subsequent funding, at a standstill. Mr. Dametto said releasing the Options Analysis report to the public is critical if there is to be any chance of getting a business case funded in the 2024/25 State Budget.

“Residents, and those who commute through Townsville’s northern suburbs have endured this painstaking stretch of road for long enough,” Mr Dametto said,

“The government and Transport and Main Roads (TMR) need to release the Options Analysis immediately so we can move forward with securing funding and getting shovels in the ground.

“Throughout the last term I lobbied the State Labor government hard for this project but neither of the former TMR Ministers considered it a priority.

“Traffic along this stretch is already gridlocked during peak times, but with new subdivisions and lifestyle estates proposed for the area, this corridor is reaching breaking point. Upgrading these intersections is no longer optional; it’s critical for the future of these popular Townsville suburbs as well as those who live further north.”

Townsville City Council Division 2 Councillor Brodie Phillips said although the Townsville City Council was taking steps to address congestion on their local road networks, that work would be to no avail if residents continue to face significant congestion along Woolcock Street.

“The State Government and TMR have known about the growth in Townsville’s Northern suburbs for nearly two decades and have failed to adequately plan and provide the necessary infrastructure to support this growth,” Cr Phillips said.

“Not only do residents face congestion in the mornings and afternoons, but there is no safe pedestrian or cycle access across the river, and we have a bridge that is prone to closures due to flooding.

“We deserve better from the State Government, and I am hopeful that this project will become a priority for Premier David Crisafulli and the Transport and Main Roads Minister, the Hon. Brent Mickelberg.”

Bushland Beach resident Nathan Earsman added his voice to the call for action, highlighting the fact that some 30,000 people live on the north side of Townville.

“With more land being released for subdivisions and more houses being built in the north, the road infrastructure in the area must also be upgraded,” Mr Earsman said.

“As it sits, the lower Bohle Bridge floods, meaning the top bridge becomes a contra flow design, this is completely unacceptable. With more extreme weather events happening more regularly we need a safe and future proof way to get to work.”

Mr. Dametto urged the new Transport and Main Roads Minister to act swiftly to ensure the project is delivered.

“This is a critical piece of infrastructure for Townsville’s northern suburbs. The new government has the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to North Queensland by delivering this project without any further delays,” Mr. Dametto said.

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