Council
21 November, 2023
Road is safe to crossing
After months of uncertainty, the Federal Government has finally confirmed it will back the $32.75 million funding for Youngs Crossing Road and Bridge.
An independent review of the Federal Government’s funding for billions in national infrastructure projects saw dozens of programs in the firing line.
City of Moreton Bay Mayor, Peter Flannery, said confirmation that the Youngs Crossing Road would continue showed common sense in the booming region.
“I am just so pleased to see crucial road connections have been given funding and that party politics has been put to the side for the benefit of community,” Cr Flannery said.
The Youngs Crossing Road is one of only four road North Pine River crossings connecting City of Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast to Brisbane and the Australia Trade Coast, being used by approximately 20,000 vehicles per day.
The upgrade requiring the majority of funding is the Youngs Crossing Bridge, as a high-level bridge with sufficient flood protection needs to be designed and built.
“The Youngs Crossing upgrade is necessary to improve flood immunity, safety, and vehicle capacity due to our forecast population growth, housing developments and associated traffic volumes,” Cr Flannery said.
“During heavy rains and flooding, transport is pushed onto the Bruce Highway or Old Gympie Road which are already crippled by massive congestion and causing daily delays for residents and businesses across the Southeast.”
This upgrade is also essential to secure the growing housing market and population, with over 16,000 lots having already been approved by Moreton Bay Council in their growth area sites.
According to Cr Flannery, City of Moreton Bay could single-handedly solve Southeast Queensland’s housing crisis with their greenfield sites, but for that they require infrastructure to access their homes.
“The Youngs Crossing Road project is vital to provide a resilient road network that supports the supply of housing in the area,” Cr Flannery said.
In addition to the federal funding, the Youngs Crossing Road and Bridge project has also received $15 million from the State Government and $32.25 million from Council itself, funding over half of the project.
The design work has already been completed and resources allocated, with the next step being the tender construction process.
“The best partnerships are collaborative, and this project has been one all levels of Government have worked on together for years now,” Cr Flannery said.
