A major upgrade to Murphy Road and Ellison Road corridor at Geebung is underway and is expected to be completed by early 2020, according to Brisbane City Council.
This corridor forms an important link between Geebung station, Gympie Road, Westfield Chermside, and Marchant and 7th Brigade Parks.
Both Murphy and Ellison Roads are used by more than 37,000 vehicles per day and traffic slows down during peak hours, according to Lord Mayor Graham Quirk.
“The Murphy Road and Ellison Road roundabout is also a well-known blackspot, with 11 accidents reported over a five-year period and this upgrade is expected to reduce the risk of crashes by 40 per cent at the intersections of Murphy and Ellison roads as well as Kittyhawk Drive and Butt Street,” said Cr Quirk.
“Without this congestion-busting upgrade, motorists using this intersection would be facing delays of up to 10-minutes and bumper-to-bumper queues by 2031.”
Infrastructure Chairman Amanda Cooper said the upgrade would make it easier for the community to access lifestyle amenities on offer.
“It’s not just about making it easier for motorists. This upgrade will also deliver benefits for pedestrians, cyclists and buses with signalised crossings, on-road cycle lanes as well as indented bus lanes,” Cr Cooper said.
“The project will also deliver benefits for park-users, with off-road parking for 80 vehicles at Marchant Park and 7th Brigade Park.
To provide real action on the problem of congestion, the Brisbane City Council put up road improvement projects such as this. The project aims to:
- improve traffic
- reduce congestion
- increase safety for road users
- help cater for existing and future traffic demands along this busy corridor.
A signalised intersection will be installed to replace the existing roundabout. Roads leading to the intersection will be widened. In particular, Murphy Road will be widened from two to four lanes from the Gympie Road intersection to north of the Butt Street intersection.
The Butt Street and Murphy Road intersection will also be signalised which will improve safety for pedestrians and vehicles accessing Butt Street.
The upgrade also involves:
- provision of a three lane southbound approach on Murphy Road
- widening Ellison Road to four lanes between Danette and Gambia Streets
- upgrading the Kittyhawk Drive and Murphy Road intersection to include:
- additional through lanes in each direction
- a right-turn pocket into Kittyhawk Drive, and
- a U-turn facility for southbound traffic
- signalising the Butt Street and Murphy Road intersection to include:
- a pedestrian crossing
- a right-turn pocket into Butt Street, and
- a new mini roundabout at the intersection of Butt Street and Fernlea Street
- providing additional off-road car parking adjacent to Marchant Park and 7th Brigade Park
- incorporating on-road cycle lanes in both directions on Murphy and Ellison Roads
- converting Marathon Street and Blackwood Road to left-in, left-out access only to improve safety
- constructing a new access road to Navarre Street
- providing indented bus stops adjacent to the Murphy Road and Ellison Road intersection
- landscaping and line marking
- removing some trees
Works on the corridor upgrade has started mid-December 2018 and is expected to be completed in early 2020.
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