Toowong roundabout crossing

The Toowong roundabout crossing is a bridge allowing pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Toowong end of the Western Freeway safely. It connects the path in Anzac Park to the grass area across the freeway, to join a new BCC shared path up to the entrance to the botanic gardens. Main Roads started construction in July 2008 and the bridge was opened in March 2009.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Benefits 1.2 Concerns 1.3 Petition 1.4 Timetable 1.5 Consultation 2 Media 3 See also

History

Prior to the opening of the bridge it was the subject of not insignificant debate between cycle advocates about the real value of the crossing.

Benefits

The crossing assists cyclists in getting between Toowong and Sir Samuel Griffith Drive for access to Mt Coot-tha and Bardon, avoiding the dangerous route through the roundabout. Main Roads' anticipated main flow of traffic on the southern side will be along the Western Freeway bikeway to and from the Indooroopilly direction, with total traffic over the bridge being more than 50 cyclists per hour.

The crossing also provides pedestrian access to the mountain and its botanic gardens, but Main Roads anticipated this to be significantly less utilised than the cycle connection, about 10 pedestrians per hour.

Concerns

There is significant need for safe road crossings elsewhere in the area, and the existence of need in the proposed location has been questioned, as shown in the picture to the right [1] [2] [3] [4]. Also, the proposed crossing is in a relatively isolated area, so personal safety of users is a concern [5]. This was part of the reason for the choice of a bridge rather than a tunnel.

The proposed crossing is officially only three metres wide (verbally it has been described as 3.3m), yet is intended to carry both cycle and pedestrian traffic. Worse, the southern end of the crossing connects to the Western Freeway bike path, which is designed for cyclists only and not to also carry pedestrians. Inbound cyclists at that location are typically travelling quite fast and the result seems likely to be very dangerous [6]. Main Roads is currently planning to change the section of path connecting the bridge to Dean Street from exclusive bicycle path to shared path but verbal assurance has been given that alternative connection options will be looked at, such as duplicating the path to build a separated path.

The bridge has long ramps at each end to provide six metres clearance from the road. It has been suggested that a level crossing would be preferably by avoiding that [7], although the expense of delays caused by having to negotiate the heavy traffic at the end of the freeway (with or without the assistance of signals) make that questionable [8]. A tunnel is another option that would require less grade separation, as would moving the bridge further to the west to take advantage of higher ground. This last option would eliminate the unnecessary significant descent and subsequent ascent that will be required for cyclists connecting to or from the Western Freeway bikeway under the proposal, but Main Roads reports that it would require too much destruction of bushland currently looked after by a local community group.

Petition

In February 2005 a petition was presented to the State Government to address the need for a safe pedestrian and cycle crossing at "the Toowong roundabout" [9]. Although the body of the petition does not identify the roundabout more precisely the subject mentions "Milton Road", indicating that it refers to the eastern roundabout joining Mt Coot-tha Road, Milton Road, Frederick Street and Miskin Street. However, the response from the Minister appears to refer to the western roundabout, joining Mt Coot-tha Road and the Western Freeway near Dean Street [10]. It seems that this is likely to be the cause of much of the criticism that the proposed crossing is not addressing what it should. Verbal indications from Main Roads are that a crossing at the eastern roundabout has been examined but ruled out due to difficulties with lack of space around the cemetery, the obstruction that the existing overpass would cause to a new bridge, and the difficulty of connecting all four corners of the roundabout.

Timetable

• November 2006: initial consultation
• December 2006 – April 2007: initial design
• May/June 2007: design detail consultation
• September 2007: tenders called
• July 2008: construction start (was November 2007 [11] then February 2008 [12])
• March 2009: completion (was mid 2008 [13] then December 2008 [14] then February 2009 [15])

Consultation

The two proposed options were on display in Andrew Fraser's electorate office and Toowong Library during November 2006. Main Roads says that the feedback was roughly 60% in favour of the bridge option, with general concern about the safety of the tunnel option. It has said that this is a closer result than it usually gets; with tunnels in other locations getting a stronger negative reaction on the same personal safety grounds.

Further information is available from (and feedback can be provided to) Main Roads on 1 800 025 716 or mailto:metro@mainroads.qld.gov.au [16].

Media

• Overpass blow out, Westside News, 17 November 2008

See also

• Main Roads page [17]
• Queensland Transport page [18]
  • October 2008 construction update [19]