Crisafulli Government committed to delivering a new bridge for Bribie Island
- The Crisafulli Government is committed to the delivery of a new bridge to Bribie Island.
- Summary business case for a new Bribie Island bridge has been released.
- A new two-lane bridge for eastbound traffic and a dedicated active transport path is proposed, with the existing bridge providing two westbound traffic lanes.
The Crisafulli Government is committed to delivering a new bridge for Bribie Island, with the release of the summary business case moving this important piece of infrastructure one step closer to construction.
The business case shows the existing bridge is structurally sound and suitable to carry traffic but confirmed the need to improve access to Bribie Island, as well as address growing safety issues experienced due to the existing narrow, two-way bridge.
The project was never a priority for the former Labor Government, who had a decade to get on with the job but failed to deliver for the Bribie Island community.
The Crisafulli Government is committed to future-proofing and making sure Queensland roads are reliable and safe to get people home sooner.
The proposed solution is a new bridge that provides two eastbound lanes and a dedicated active transport path, with the existing bridge providing two westbound lanes.
Intersection upgrades are also proposed at Sylvan Beach Esplanade and the Sandstone Point Hotel entrance, along with lane duplication to Bestmann Road East and crossing points to divert traffic between bridges to maintain traffic flow when required.
The new bridge will be designed to enable future widening to four lanes with an active transport path in the long term when the existing bridge is no longer cost-effective to maintain.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg said the Crisafulli Government was focused on getting on with the job after years of Labor inaction.
"The Crisafulli Government is not going to wait for the Bribie Island Bridge to have a capacity crisis, and safety is our number one focus," Minister Mickelberg said.
"It is a priority for us, which is the clear opposite of the former Labor Government, who did not make the people of Bribie Island a priority.
"We are committed to the delivery of a new bridge to Bribie Island, and we are pleased to release a summary of the business case.
"We will now consider the assessment and timeframes for funding, detailed design, and construction."
Member for Pumicestone Ariana Doolan welcomed the release of the summary business case, after fighting hard on behalf of her community.
"It was great to have Minister Mickelberg here this week, and for the Crisafulli Government to act so quickly in releasing this summary business case to get on with the job after years of Labor failures," Ms Doolan said.
"We've long recognised the difficulties our residents, businesses, and visitors experience when incidents occur on the existing bridge, causing lane closures and delays.
"A future upgrade is needed to improve access to Bribie Island, and it is reassuring to know that the existing bridge has the structural integrity to continue to carry traffic for the foreseeable future.
"Working with the City of Moreton Bay will also be very important to plan for the interface with the local road network on Bribie Island."
TMR received over 4000 comments as part of community consultation, which was held in two phases – in early 2023 to assist development of a concept design, and in early 2024 to comment on the proposed concept design.
The business case summary has been published on the TMR website: www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/caboolture-bribie-island-road-bribie-island-bridge-planning
