TRAFFIC lights are switching on at four Waterford Tamborine Road intersections between Logan Village and Yarrabilba.
The arrival of lights eases ‘road pain’ which follows roadworks and moves forward on decade-old campaigns to fix a road in a Logan growth hotspot.
Waterford Tamborine Road is Logan’s third most deadly. In July, it made the RACQ’s list of ‘high risk’ rated roads for its entire length after 109 crashes and four fatalities over four years.
Traffic lights have have been switched on at Hotz Road and Pioneer Drive over the past week, with lights to come at the Stockleigh Road and Anzac Avenue intersections.
The turning on of lights completes a $40 million project, delivered in partnership between the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Economic Development Queensland, which administers funds provided to the project by Yarrabilba developers Lendlease.
The state controlled road has been the subject of campaigns by the Logan Country Safe City Council, falls in the electorate of Logan MP Linus Power who secured an extra $8 million in funds for works to fix an intersection near Opal Gardens retirement village.
Scenic Rim MP Jon Krause was among the first to campaign for improvements before boundary changes took the road outside his electoral division.
Councillor Laurie Koranski said it would bring welcome relief to drivers of the 14,000 vehicles that drive on Waterford Tamborine road each day.
It is anticipated traffic lights on the state controlled road will help alleviate traffic gridlock during peak times.
Councillor Koranski said the re-opening of the road could not come quickly enough.
“Road work fatigue has taken its toll on local residents, but for the most part, motorists should be commended for their patience during construction over the past year”.
“These road upgrades are a great step in the right direction.
“But with the population of Yarrabilba booming I am keen to see the North Street roundabout upgraded and further investment in other sections of the road.”
Logan Country Safe City chair David Kenny said traffic lights might improve road safety but described them as another bandaid solution in a region which lacked a co-ordinated plan for roads despite massive growth projected for the coming decades.
“What we have here is a stretch of road that bottlenecks from four lanes to two lanes at either end with no bus stops, no footpaths and no dedicated lanes for active transport like motorised scooters which are used by the infirmed and the elderly.
