The busy Centenary Motorway is now considered one of the worst roads in West Brisbane due to the horrendous bumper-to-bumper traffic that motorists experience there, every morning and afternoon.
Time To Fix It
The recent Kenmore crash and the traffic it caused have fuelled the cries of commuters and caught the attention of The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Limited (RACQ). The RACQ is now pushing hard for a fix, citing March as the worst month so far, in terms of traffic on the motorway.
Actually, the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, in response to the continuing clamor for a solution, has already released a study for the Kenmore Bypass. The study investigated the viability of a bypass at Fig Tree Pocket, utilising the existing preserved corridor from Moggill Road, Pullenvale and to the motorway along Fig Tree Pocket.
The plan is to ease traffic congestion in the Kenmore-Moggill area by building a 4-lane bypass, which will link Moggill Road to the Centenary Motorway. With this, vehicles traveling on the proposed bypass would have a direct road to pass through to get to Moggill Road and down south, while also maintaining a T-intersection for northbound motorists on Moggill Road.
Quick Solutions
In the meantime, a quick remedy seems to be in order, and Moggill MP Dr Christian Rowan is suggesting that instead of just waiting for a bypass to be built and focusing on the congestion at Kenmore, a plan that will consider road integration and public transport solutions can be made.
He said that reversing the traffic towards the Ipswich Motorway, building a bridge from Belbowrie across to the Centenary Suburbs would be possible solutions with immediate effects.
In response to Dr. Rowan’s suggestions, Mark Bailey, the Main Roads Minister said that a 2015 study aimed to ease congestion at the Moggill Road/Brookfield Road intersection and the Kenmore Roundabout showed that making upgrades to the Kenmore Roundabout will not resolve the congestion at all.
Waiting Game
For now, it seems that the Kenmore Bypass proposal is the best bet for a long-term solution. The Kenmore Bypass Planning Study is now being assessed by the State Government. If approved, the plan is to have it built by 2026.
Photo credit: Shiftchange/Wikimedia Commons
