The State Government has given no timeframe for installing traffic lights at the intersection of FE Walker Street and Ashfield Road.
Writing in response to an electronic petition signed by 453 people, Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) advised the intersection does not warrant lights at this time.
However, “TMR acknowledges there may be a future need to upgrade the intersection as population growth continues to occur along the coast”.
“In preparation for this, a business case has been completed which recommends signalising the intersection to include additional through lanes on FE Walker Street, and dedicated cycle lanes through to Windermere Road in the future,” Mr Bailey wrote.
“Funding to progress the project to design and construction would be subject to competing priorities across the state.”
Member for Bundaberg, David Batt, tabled the petition in February after campaigning for traffic lights for several years.
The petition highlights a “critical need” to upgrade the FE Walker Street and Ashfield Road intersection with traffic lights.
“Many Bundaberg residents using the road to access Bundaberg Christian College experience danger crossing the intersection due to poor visibility and fast-moving traffic,” the petition states.
“This project has been at the centre of the Bundaberg community's concern following the tragic death of a Bundaberg Christian College student who was killed attempting to avoid the road in 2014.
“The upgrade would not only improve the safety for local motorists but would provide local jobs, ease congestion and make it easier to get products to and from the Bundaberg port as well.”
Community advocate Carmen McEneany says she'll continue to campaign for traffic lights.
“St Luke's and Kalkie parents also use this intersection often,” she said.
“This is the second petition I've done on this intersection and I won't stop until it's fixed.”
Mr Bailey's letter says upgrade treatments are determined by considering site-specific parameters that include recorded crash history, present and future traffic volumes, geometry and visibility.
“TMR has advised that, given due consideration of these factors, the FE Walker Street and Ashfield Road intersection does not presently indicate a need for signalisation.”
What’s wrong with installing a large roundabout, like there is at Bargara Road & Burnett Heads Road? Once installed there would be little maintenance costs, the traffic would be slowed down, but the intersection would be very safe? Think first – don’t just want traffic lights for every problem. They are an expensive inconvenience and slow everything down, when compared to a roundabout.
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