Traffic lights to be installed in Bay intersection upgrade
Work to install traffic lights and upgrade the roads and footpaths around one of the busiest intersections in Hervey Bay will kick off in early April.
Fraser Coast Regional Council Infrastructure Services Director Davendra Naidu said the intersection of Boundary Road, Robert Street and Hughes Road serviced three schools and three childcare centres, with give way signs on Robert Street and Hughes Road.
“The four-way intersection is particularly busy around school drop off and pick up times, with the upgrade needed to improve traffic flow and make this area safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists,” he said.
“Local contractors Kirbro Contracting Pty Ltd have been on site since January doing water main relocation works, which are expected to be completed in the next couple of months.
“Kirbro has also successfully tendered for the traffic signalisation and road widening works, which will start on 2 April, weather permitting, and be completed in early 2025.
“These works will include excavation and earthworks, road and pavement construction, new kerb and channel, concrete footpath and stormwater drainage construction, traffic lights installation, asphalt pavement and surfacing, as well as line marking, street lighting, signage and turfing.
“The new intersection will be more than twice as wide as the existing road and will cater for the future growth of the Fraser Coast.”
Mr Naidu said Robert Street would be closed at the intersection with Boundary Road during the school holidays (from 29 March to 14 April) as part of the water main relocation works.
“There will be changed traffic conditions around the intersection over the next 12 months while the traffic signalisation and road upgrade works occur,” he said.
“Two-way traffic will still be permitted for Boundary Road with traffic control used during certain components of the works, while Robert Street and Hughes Road will be changed to a one-way traffic arrangement near the intersection at key times during the project.
“We appreciate that these works will cause some inconvenience while underway, but the end result will be a safer intersection and improved travel times.
“Council is committed to planning for the future and investing in high-quality public infrastructure to keep pace with growth, and that’s what this project seeks to achieve.”
Power lines and electrical infrastructure were relocated in the first two stages of the intersection upgrade in 2021. The traffic signalisation works are the third and final stage of the $9.5m project, which is partly funded by the Queensland Government’s Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme ($123,263).