$1.7M to fix 'blackspot' intersections

Council’s 2016/2017 budget, due to be ratified on 29 June, includes more than $1.7M to fix two notorious intersections.

Mayor Tony Wellington has announced that Council will contribute to the upgrade of the Hilton Terrace/Ernest Street intersection, a site of numerous vehicle accidents, and also the Poinciana Avenue/Moorindil Street intersection which frequently gets highly congested.

“The Hilton Terrace/Ernest Street intersection is a real blackspot where traffic regularly queues at peak times as vehicles wait to turn out of Ernest Street,” Cr Wellington said.

“The focus is on improving safety at this intersection, which has seen numerous crashes and claimed at least one life in recent years. A new roundabout will make this intersection perform significantly better.”

Council will reseal Hilton Terrace between the Doonella Bridge and the Hilton Esplanade roundabout to coincide with the intersection upgrade, as well as provide bicycle lanes and safety improvements for pedestrians.

“A recent transport study ranked the Hilton Terrace/Ernest Street intersection highest on the list of Council-controlled intersections in need of an upgrade, with some 17,000 vehicle movements a day. The study ranked the Poinciana Avenue/Moorindil Street intersection our second highest priority,” Cr Wellington said.

For this intersection, the aim is to construct a left-turn slip lane from Moorindil Street into Poinciana Avenue. This will reduce the long queues of traffic forming in Moorindil, particularly in the mornings.

“This Council takes road safety very seriously,” the Mayor said. “Whilst sorting out our own road issues, we are also seeking commitments from the State Government to improve their road infrastructure, including the Beckmans Road corridor in Noosaville and the Myall/Elm Street intersection in Cooroy.” 

21 June 2016