The Queensland State Government’s congestion-busting Eastern Busway moved a step closer today with the Premier Anna Bligh announcing the winning
The Queensland State Government’s congestion-busting Eastern Busway moved a step closer today with the Premier Anna Bligh announcing the winning bid to design the Buranda to Main Avenue section.
Opening the 2008 Major Project Conference in Brisbane this morning, Bligh says that Sinclair Knight Merz/Maunsell AECOM had been selected as the project designer for the busway stage.
“The Eastern Busway is another example of how committed my government is to getting on with the job of building the infrastructure needed to keep Queensland moving,” Bligh says.
Bligh says following the appointment of the successful designers, design work on the project would start immediately, with construction to start mid next year, for completion by early 2012.
“The Queensland Government is also calling for proposals from construction companies interested in joining Queensland Transport and SKM/Maunsell AECOM, in an alliance to deliver this section of the busway,” Bligh says.
“Proposals from construction companies close on 6 November 2008 and we expect to have a constructor appointed by Christmas.
“This is one of the Queensland Government’s newest congestion-busting projects, and once completed this section of busway will slash up to eight minutes off trips between Coorparoo and the city.
“The Buranda to Main Avenue section will carry 7,000 passengers in the morning peak – the same as two extra traffic lanes along Old Cleveland Road.
“The 18km Eastern Busway is being built and opened in stages, with the highest-priority sections being delivered first.”
This month, Cabinet approved a $465.8 million investment in the Buranda to Cavendish Road section of the Eastern Busway. This will fund construction of the 1.05km section between Buranda and Main Avenue, and purchase required property all the way to Cavendish Road, at Coorparoo.
“The government has also committed $138 million for the Princess Alexandra Hospital to South East Busway section of the Eastern Busway,” she says.
The Buranda to Main Avenue section of the Eastern Busway will connect the existing South East Busway at Buranda with Coorparoo via Stones Corner in a combination of tunnel, bridge and at-surface busway.
A state-of-the-art busway station will be built at Stones Corner with a high-quality bus stop at Langlands Park that allows for a future busway station.
“As the Southeast Busway did for the southern suburbs, the Eastern Busway will revolutionise public transport for Brisbane’s eastern suburbs,” Bligh says.
“It will provide communities with access to fast, frequent and reliable public transport connecting across Brisbane.
“The Government is committed to Brisbane’s busway network and committed to improving public transport services for the growing eastern suburbs and Redlands communities.
“Further stages of the Eastern Busway are ready for immediate delivery, should funding become available under the Commonwealth Government’s Building Australia Fund,” she says.