Brisbane’s much anticipated public transport infrastructure projects, the Northern Busway and the Boggo Road/Eastern Busway, will open for operation on
Brisbane’s much anticipated public transport infrastructure projects, the Northern Busway and the Boggo Road/Eastern Busway, will open for operation on August 3.
The first stage of the northern busway consists of an elevated structure connecting at an intersection with Gilchrist Avenue with a new busway station at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH).
Stage one of the Northern Busway was finished two months ahead of schedule and on budget.
Premier Anna Bligh says the new 1.2 km section will drastically reduce bus travel times between the RBWH precinct and the city.
“Stage one of the Northern Busway combined with the Inner Northern Busway means peak hour travel times between the RBWH and the city have been reduced from up to 25 minutes to under ten minutes,” Bligh says.
“The new section alone cuts out four sets of lights and can save up to five minutes in peak traffic conditions and provides a vital link to the next section of the busway to Kedron, which is now being built, in tandem with the $4.8 billion Airport Link project.”
The new section of the Northern busway will remove more than 5000 buses a week from traffic and carry more than 32,000 passengers a day, taking pressure off the Herston Road and Bowen Bridge Road junction.
A new $8 million cycle centre under the RBWH busway station is due to be opened in October 2009.
Transport Minister Rachel Nolan will launch the Northern Busway at a community open day onsite on Sunday, July 26.
“People should really consider catching free public transport on TransLink services this Sunday to take a walk through the new Northern Busway and see first hand what this great project is all about,” Nolan says.