Traffic lights and new pedestrian crossings are coming to the Hamilton Road, Western Avenue and Staib Road intersection in Chermside, with concept design and investigation work underway following years of community advocacy for safer access to The Prince Charles Hospital.
The project is now in its design phase, with a preliminary design expected to be shared publicly in mid-2026 before the community is invited to meet the project team and discuss the proposal. Main construction is planned from 2027, following final design. The upgrade is jointly funded by the state and Brisbane City authorities.
A long-running push for safer access
The stretch of Hamilton Road outside The Prince Charles Hospital has been the subject of sustained community concern since at least 2009. By 2019, the community had been campaigning for 16 years to see the roads around the hospital upgraded after multiple serious incidents, and more than 722 of the 726 Prince Charles Hospital staff surveyed after a fatal crash said the intersection needed to be upgraded.
In November 2018, a serious crash at Hamilton Road and Staib Road involved a BMW sedan travelling at high speed colliding with a Nissan Micra leaving The Prince Charles Hospital, seriously injuring the Nissan’s driver.
That same month, nurse Solita Honorio died days after a traffic crash outside the hospital, prompting renewed community calls for traffic signals on Hamilton Road and bringing together an alliance of approximately 150 people from local churches, unions, hospital staff and executives concerned about road safety at the site.
The loss galvanised a community that had already been advocating for change for years and set in motion the sustained pressure that has ultimately led to this project.
The changes planned for the intersection
The approved design direction installs new traffic lights and pedestrian crossings at the three-way intersection of Hamilton Road, Western Avenue and Staib Road.
Traffic lights will improve visibility, manage traffic flow and reduce the risk of future crashes, while new crossing points will make the intersection safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.
Improving access to The Prince Charles Hospital has been a central priority throughout the design process, and following community feedback across multiple design iterations, this has now been formally incorporated into the design moving forward.
The Prince Charles Hospital is a 690-bed major teaching and tertiary referral hospital operated by Metro North Health, recognised as Australia’s leading cardiothoracic hospital, drawing staff, patients and visitors from across Queensland every day. The volume of movement generated by a facility of that scale makes the intersection’s upgrade not merely a local traffic matter but a regional health infrastructure one.
The next stage of the upgrade process
On-site testing and surveying will take place along Hamilton Road and nearby streets throughout 2026 to support the finalisation of the design. This testing includes checking the condition and structure of the road surface, locating utilities, and accurately surveying levels, boundaries and existing features.
Works may take place during the day or at night depending on the activity involved.
Residents and commuters travelling through the area during this period may notice temporary noise, dust and vibration, construction vehicles, traffic controllers and temporary footpath diversions. Hamilton Road will remain open throughout, and there will be no impact to local property access.
The preliminary design will be shared from mid-2026, at which point the community will be invited to meet the project team and provide feedback before final design and construction proceed from 2027.
To register for project updates, click here or contact the project team on 07 3178 5413 between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday, or email cityprojects@brisbane.qld.gov.au.
Published 20-May-2026
