Queensland residents draw to the attention of the House the urgent need for upgraded road infrastructure to support growth in the Northern Suburbs of Townsville and provide better access along the Bruce Highway and Woolcock Street from the Mount Low Parkway intersection, Mount Low, through to the Ingham Road intersection, Bohle. This includes but is not restricted to the Bruce Highway/Woolcock Street intersections at Shaw Road, Mount Low Parkway, North Shore Boulevard, Garland Road, Deeragun Road and Wagner Street.

This section of road in its current form has reached capacity and the lack of adequate road infrastructure is currently causing severe congestion to commuters during peak traffic times. When any disruption occurs along the Bruce Highway/Woolcock Street such as road work, a motor vehicle accident or flooding over the lower (northbound} Bohle River Bridge, road users are forced to endure unacceptable wait times as traffic ceases to flow.

The necessary infrastructure upgrades should include, but not be limited to: improvements at North Shore Boulevard, Shaw Road, Deeragun Road/Garland Road, Wagner Street and Mount Low Parkway intersections in the form of additional vehicle lanes, bicycle lanes, flyovers and raising of the lower (northbound) Bohle River Bridge.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to take all action necessary to expedite this project through to the design and construction phase to improve to this prescribed section of the Bruce Highway and Woolcock Street.