Fix for our roads

Sanglin Chung was killed in an accident on the Bruce Highway north of Kybong in January last year.

Amy Remeikis

The timing was telling – as a coronial inquest into the deaths of six people on a stretch of Bruce Highway north of Pomona began, the Federal Government was announcing a further funding fix.

Also on Tuesday, the State Government decided to help a cash-strapped Sunshine Coast council by announcing $2.26 million towards the cost of having already fixed Noosa’s flood-battered hinterland roads from April last year.

The Gympie inquest will investigate three separate crashes – the death of Sanglin Chung in January last year, the fatal crash involving Moira and Glen McGreevy in January 2008, as well as the deaths of Cory Whitmore his pregnant girlfriend Rachel Gai Purdy and truck driver Mark John Hamilton in September 2008.

Coroner Maxine Baldwin is examining the cause of their deaths, the conditions of the road and how it may have contributed to the crashes.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday announced highway improvements would now start after $24 million was allocated from the Bruce Highway Safety Package to fix 35 black spots.

Included in these were:

 Traveston Crossing Rd intersection – resurfacing of the intersection, realignment to the approaches and vegetation clearing to improve sight lines.

 Bruce Highway median treatment – installing a painted centre median island on approximately 45 kilometres of the Bruce Highway between Cooroy and Gympie to increase the lane separation.

 Bruce Highway Road Side hazards – clearance of roadside hazards on the Bruce Highway between Caboolture and Curra.

“The investment we’re making in this road is more than twice what our predecessors spent over a similar period of time,” Mr Albanese said.

Local federal MP and National Party leader Warren Truss believed part of the local upgrade was flawed.

“I am concerned that the proposed thick painted median strip will eliminate broken white line overtaking opportunities along a 45-kilometre section of the national highway,” Mr Truss said.

“If the only opportunity that people will have to overtake slower vehicles along the highway will be at overtaking lanes, motorists’ frustration levels will rise.”

The Noosa funding announced by Local Government Minister Desley Boyle included $525,000 to repair White Wood Court, $295,000 for Livstonia Drive, $422,000 along Cootharaba Road and $136,000 to fix Black Mountain Road.

“Council have also played their part contributing $325,000 towards the cost of repairs,” she said.