Building better roads and crossings on the Fraser Coast
More than $3m in Council road projects are getting underway on the Fraser Coast this month.
Fraser Coast Regional Councillor Denis Chapman said the five projects would improve safety for drivers and pedestrians.
“Council is responsible for about 2,700 kilometres of roads and footpaths throughout the region, and about a third of our capital works budget is allocated to maintaining and improving roads, footpaths, bridges and drainage,” he said.
“This latest round of projects involves upgrading pedestrian crossings, installing a roundabout, building a new footpath, and replacing kerb and channel.”
Pedestrian facilities through the Ann Street and Adelaide Lane intersection will be upgraded ($108,500). The work includes new raised platforms, kerb ramps, and lighting.
The project is due to be completed by the end of the month, weather permitting, with the project funded through the Australian Government’s Black Spot Program.
A roundabout will be installed at the Tooley Street and Albert Street intersection ($720,000), of which $401,000 in funding is provided by the Australian Government’s Black Spot Program.
It is anticipated that this project will be completed by the end of June, weather permitting.
In Cardigan Street, a 214 metre-long, 1.3m-wide concrete footpath will be installed from the end of the existing footpath to the bus stop in Arnaud Street.
The $235,000 project also includes installing 92 metres of new kerb and channel to complete the missing section in Arnaud Street.
The works were identified for completion as part of Council’s Active Travel Strategy.
Sections of kerb and channel in Park Street (from Woodstock Street to Ashton Street) and Ashton Street (Saltwater Creek Road to Park Street) will also be replaced.
The $720,000 replacement project was identified during regular inspections carried out as part of Council’s ongoing asset inspection program.
In Hervey Bay, a concrete raised priority crossing will be built in Medical Place (adjacent to the Nissen Street roundabout) and a pedestrian refuge crossing will be installed in Nissen Street near the Nissen Street and Bayswater Drive intersection.
The works will improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians moving through the medical precinct, Cr Chapman said.
The $465,837 project, which has been awarded to Grand Civil, will be staged starting in Medical Place, and then moving to Nissen Street. It is anticipated that both projects will be completed by late June, weather permitting.
The two projects are funded through the Queensland Government’s Cycle Network Local Government Grants program.
To lessen the impact of the work on traffic, some of the work will be undertaken at night.
“The projects are part of Council commitment to deliver resilient regional infrastructure that supports and caters for our current population and future growth,” Cr Chapman said.
“It’s all part of our plan to build better communities together on the Fraser Coast.”