Kenmore Bypass Update
Tuesday, 13 October 2009 15:25
The Kenmore Bypass Study has now released its long awaited preferred option for the Kenmore Bypass. The preferred option has been designed around making the Kenmore Bypass the preferred local route to the city for through traffic at both the intersection of the Bypass and Moggill Road and the intersection of the Bypass and the Centenary Highway.
I again have to stress that having a preferred option released and findings by the study group that construction of the Bypass would be both environmentally and engineering wise feasible does not mean there is any commitment at this time to proceed. It is however an essential step in considering the project.
Important points to remember are that the objectives of the Bypass are:-
- To dramatically reduce commuter times for through traffic to the City by halving the distance traffic has to travel on Moggill Road and removing flow through a dozen controlled intersections intermingled with local traffic.
- To reduce the severe congestion in central Kenmore to allow that area to be much more of a community hub and local precinct.
- To significantly improve local traffic movement and safety around central Kenmore and Chapel Hill particularly around local schools.
- To significantly reduce rat-running on Kenmore Road, Brookfield Road, Ironbark Street and many other residential streets in Kenmore and Chapel Hill.
- To provide our area’s first cycle link with the rapidly expanding cycle network in the city of Brisbane (this would be achieved by a dedicated cycleway connecting Moggill Road to the cycleway on the Freeway).
- It is important to note that the much needed upgrade of the Western Freeway is currently the subject of a different study but the Kenmore Bypass connection with the Western Freeway must allow for future upgrade and realignment of that highway (interchanges are vey expensive and are not exactly portable).
- The Bypass Study Group responded to concerns expressed by myself and local residents that a complete closure of Gem Road forcing many local residents to use Sunset Road as their only connection to the rest of our suburb was not acceptable. This has been addressed by keeping Gem Road open by means of an underpass.
The preferred option has been sent to the Government to consider in the words of the Study Group “priority and affordability of the project”.
As you are aware this has been a difficult but nonetheless essential process as up to this point in time there has been no plan whatsoever to deal with the traffic chaos and loss of community amenity along Moggill Road.