Council To Implement Safety Measures At Notorious Intersection

Glenella-Richmond Road and Holts Road improvements. Image for illustrative purposes, by Mackay Regional Council  

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Council will be progressing some interim measures at the Holts Road/Glenella-Richmond Road intersection to address immediate safety concerns.

Council’s long-term intention is for the intersection to be upgraded to a roundabout.

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Works planned for early August will involve a speed limit reduction to 60kmh on all approaches, additional safety signage, vegetation clearing to improve visibility and line marking.

A guardrail will also be installed along a bend on Glenella-Richmond Road, between Larkins Road and Davey Street.

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Mayor Greg Williamson said the intersection was a high priority for council and a community petition had received more than 6000 signatures calling for a roundabout and improved safety at the site.

“This intersection has a known crash history, including the fatal crash in March this year, and council has been advocating for funding for some time to deliver a roundabout at this location,” Mayor Williamson said.

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“Traffic volumes at this location have increased as our region grows, and as traffic patterns shift due to congestion on major routes like Mackay-Bucasia Road and the Mackay Ring Road,” he said.

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Mayor Williamson said previous funding applications had been unsuccessful largely due to a mismatch between available funding and the project’s overall cost, which was more than $8 million.

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“We are still awaiting assessment and outcomes from several funding applications; however, council acknowledges that action is needed now to reduce risks at this location.

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“We have worked with the Queensland Police Service and the Department of Transport and Main Roads to implement a change of speed limit at the site and our teams will be installing new signage over the next few weeks to make that official.

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“We have also progressed the design of the roundabout and begun discussions with neighbouring landowners around land acquisitions to ensure the roundabout project is shovel ready.”

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Works on the guardrail on the bend up from the intersection will begin today (Monday, July 13), weather permitting. Works include construction of a sidetrack, pavement replacement, installation of steel beam guardrails, regulatory and hazard signage and associated landscaping.

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Construction of the guardrail is expected to take about six weeks. Traffic control will be in place during the works, including single-lane access with alternating traffic flow where required during work periods.

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