$43m to widen 2km stretch of Steve Irwin Way
By Sonia Isaacs
LOCAL business owners have welcomed news that a treacherous stretch of road with a significant crash history will be widened.
The $43 million dollar project announced by the Department of Transport and Main roads (TMR) will see a substantial upgrade to an approximately 2km section of Steve Irwin Way between Glass House Mountains and Beerwah.
The safety improvement project on this key arterial road is funded on a 50:50 basis, with the Australian and Queensland governments each committing $21.5 million as part of the Road Safety Program.
Neil Federer, owner of the Steve Irwin Way fresh produce store ‘Everything Good’, said he had witnessed “dozens of accidents” outside his Glass House Mountains business.
He said the proposed upgrades, including significant road repair and dedicated turning lanes into the local businesses located along the busy stretch of road, would dramatically improve both road safety and customer access.
He said he was very pleased, as business had been kept away by the ongoing road safety issues including dangerous potholes, lack of adequate turning facilities and collision mitigation.
“We feel like we’ve finally been heard,” he said
Member for Glass House, Andrew Powell, said he was grateful that the project would deliver even better road safety outcomes than originally envisaged.
“We knew the road surface desperately needed upgrading, but this project actually offers even more – which is just brilliant,” Mr Powell said.
A Transport and Main Roads spokesperson confirmed the stretch of road had a significant crash history, including rear-end, run-off-road and head-on crashes.
“This project will reduce the potential for crashes through safety treatments, including road and shoulder widening, wide centre line treatment and new dedicated turning lanes at select locations, “ they said.
“The project will also extend and replace culverts, remove vegetation where required, undertake pavement rehabilitation, improve street lighting, improve bike rider safety, and install safety barriers at identified locations within the project area,” they added.
The suite of safety improvements also include provision to streamline access points to certain businesses and private residences along the route resulting in fewer driveways connecting directly to Steve Irwin Way.
Construction is expected to commence in mid-2024, and under the Road Safety Program funding arrangements, construction must be completed by June 30, 2025.