by SDDCA Executive | Aug 7, 2015 | Community Notice, Development, News, Roads and Traffic, SDDCA Committee, Transport
Bruce Hwy Update – DTMR Responses to SDDCA Clarification Requests
Due to the recent concerns aired publicly by a newly formed action group, the Sippy Downs & District Community Association has sought clarification from the Department of Transport and Main Roads to assure residents that the information released by the SDDCA is accurate and that the current Bruce Highway upgrade plans will NOT have an adverse impact on local Sippy Downs streets.
Questions and answers below. (DTMR Responses are highlighted in Blue)
Would the closure of the on/off ramps on the Bruce Highway and the construction of the western service road “have huge implications for future increased traffic THROUGH Sippy Downs, when 17,000 people are trying to get into Palmview (the new Palmview greenfield site)? Save Exit 190 has stated that ‘motorists will always take the shortest route possible, and that means through our already congested streets of Sippy Downs’. Can you please clarify?
Neither the western service road nor the closure of the ramps at Pignata and Frizzo Roads will have any impact on traffic flow through Sippy Downs.
The development and approval process for the Palmview residential development infrastructure plan is an independent process and is not dependent on any upgrade of the Bruce Highway.
TMR’s input into the assessment of the Palmview infrastructure plan was to advise that the development would not be allowed to have direct access to the Bruce Highway or access to the Highway via the existing entry and exit ramps at Pignata Road.
As part of the Bruce Highway – Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway upgrade project, TMR has allowed provision for a road connection from the Palmview development to connect to the upgraded Pignata Road underpass. This connection would be undertaken by others not TMR.
The SDDCA accepts the need to remove the exit 190 ramps for safety and operations reasons in order to construct the western service road, increase this section of highway to six lanes and increase the speed limit to 110 knp. The following response was received from DTMR:
Based on the revised preferred planning layout released on 17 July 2015, the department will permanently remove the access ramps in the Glenview/Palmview area for safety and operational reasons which are reflected in new road design standards adopted since the highway was last upgraded in the 1980’s. Importantly, only after completion of the western service road will the Frizzo Road/Pignata Road entry and exit ramps be removed, creating a safer environment for motorists. This is anticipated towards the end of the construction program.
The western service road will be constructed as an extension of Frizzo Road to Steve Irwin Way in the south and to Tanawha Tourist Drive in the north, designed specifically to provide local road connections and improve safety for local road users accessing their properties and/or local businesses in the Glenview/Palmview area.
Extensive investigations were undertaken as part of the review of the draft planning layout into providing direct highway access to the Aussie World precinct. Based on the revised preferred planning layout, maintaining the ramps between these two interchanges creates an unsafe road environment by creating conflicting lane changing and merging movements, increasing the crash risk.
Does the current plan have any adverse impact for emergency service vehicle response time?
The department consulted with representatives from emergency services, key stakeholders and the community to develop a layout which provides a safer road environment and eases congestion along this section of the National Highway.
The improvements from the upgrade include safer and more efficient access for emergency services and indeed, all road traffic. Traffic projections show that without an upgrade, traffic on the highway and interchanges will impact heavily on free traffic flow such that emergency response times, especially during peak hour traffic, will be severely impeded without an upgrade.
An update of the Bruce Highway upgrade will be an agenda item at the Sippy Downs & District Community Association AGM on Wednesday 26 August 2015 commencing at 7pm, at the Chancellor State College primary campus hall.
For further information on the AGM Please visit –
http://sippydowns.org.au/agm-2015-and-call-for-nominations/
by SDDCA Executive | Jul 29, 2015 | Community Development, Community Notice, News, Radio Interviews, Roads and Traffic, Transport
For those members of the community who missed the ABC Radio interview yesterday concerning the Bruce Highway Upgrade and Exit 190 closure with SDDCA Vice President Sheree Lyons and members of the community.
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The SDDCA welcomes feedback from all members of the community regarding the Bruce Highway Upgrade and asks that all submissions, input and feedback be sent directly to: info@sippydowns.org.au
SDDCA Committee
by SDDCA Executive | Jul 28, 2015 | Community Notice, Development, MEDIA RELEASE, News, Roads and Traffic, SDDCA Committee
SIPPY DOWNS & DISTRICT COMMUNITY ASSOC INC
MEDIA RELEASE
27 July 2015
Following the coverage in yesterday’s Sunshine Coast Daily regarding the future Bruce Highway upgrade the Sippy Downs & District Community Assoc wishes to clarify the following important information about the benefits of the upgrade to local residents.
SDDCA President Simon Poole said, “The SDDCA feels the need to assure residents that the removal of the ramps at Exit 190 and construction of the western service road will not generate more traffic into Sippy Downs from the future Palmview development. In fact, the western service road is an integral part of the planning to alleviate traffic from the Sippy Downs local road network and is something that the SDDCA has lobbied for over the past six years.”
When the plans for the Bruce Highway upgrade were released on 17 July 2015, the SDDCA was very pleased that the western service road was included. We acknowledge Federal Member for Fisher Mal Brough for his work lobbying for this important connection that was originally not to be included until stage 3 of the upgrade (post 10 years).”
“Mr Poole said, I would like to clarify the benefits of the western service road for the Sippy Downs and Palmview communities and the reasons that the ramps to the Aussie World precinct have to be removed:
- The successful finalisation by Sunshine Coast Council in April this year of the Palmview Structure Plan Infrastructure Agreement (IA) was welcomed by the community. The updated IA included provision and future ability for the master developer’s to construct a future link to an upgraded Pignata Rd underpass that would connect to a two-way western service road from Steve Irwin Way in the south to Crosby Hill Road in the north.
- This future connection from Palmview to the western service road has been a very important outcome to relieve the community’s concerns relating to the traffic flow for the additional 17,000 future Palmview residents and was supported by numerous submissions and a parliamentary petition tabled by Member for Kawana Jarrod Bleijie MP. Cr Christian Dickson has also strongly supported this additional connection from Palmview to the Bruce Highway in a move to reduce future traffic movements throughout the Sippy Downs area.
- In simple terms, Palmview residents could choose to access the two-way western service road to travel south to Caloundra/Brisbane and north to connect to the Bruce Highway and Sunshine Motorway and return the same way rather than travel through Sippy Downs via Claymore Road or Springhill Drive. It will provide a safe and effective connection for those residents travelling to and from work and major centres on the coast.
- This connection would be sequenced with the rest of the road network servicing Palmview, which commences with the extension of Claymore Road.
- The SDDCA regards the upgrading of the highway to six lanes as essential in light of the increasing population on the Sunshine Coast and to improve the local economy and tourism. The SDDCA understands that maintaining the Palmview and Frizzo Road ramps creates an unsafe road environment by creating conflicting lane changing and merging movements, increasing the crash risk. This risk would be compounded in the ultimate eight lane development of the highway. The removal of the ramps will also allow for the speed limit to be increased to 110 kmp.
- We have been advised that advanced directional signage for the Aussie World precinct will be provided on the Bruce Highway northbound and southbound to aid existing and future business operations.
- Furthermore, the 17000 Palmview residents would be able to directly access the Aussie World Precinct without entering the Sippy Downs Road network. This will be an enormous boost for local businesses in that precinct.
The SDDCA is currently waiting for the Palmview Structure Plan to be returned from the state government before the next public notification stage. We are concerned that any negativity or misinformation generated will have an impact on the future planning requirements that the SDDCA has fought so hard for, with the support of the local community.
Mr Poole said, “As an incorporated community association we are very proud of the relationship that we have with all our local representatives as well as Sunshine Coast Council and the Department of Transport and Main Roads. We have worked together for the past six years regarding the future Palmview development to achieve the current plan.
I would like to clarify that although Mr Doroshenko was previously on the SDDCA committee, his views do not represent those of the Association.”
The SDDCA welcomes feedback from all members of the community regarding the Bruce Highway Upgrade and asks that all submissions, input and feedback be sent directly to: info@sippydowns.org.au
SDDCA Committee
by SDDCA Executive | Feb 12, 2015 | Roads and Traffic
Today the SDDCA’s Secretary, Mrs Fiona Poole attended the official opening of the Stage 3 upgrade to Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs which was a resounding success. A great big thank you to Cr Dickson for extending the invitation.
For full details on all of the benefits and details including links to the launch ceremony on youtube regarding this wonderful local upgrade please visit the Sippy Downs and District Community Website using the link below.
http://www.sippydowns.qld.au/upgrade-benefits-drivers/
The SDDCA manages the Sippy Downs and District Community Website (SDDCW) for and on behalf of the people of Sippy Downs and District. We are proud to provide the areas only official community news and information service.
The SDDCW is as an officially licenced community website under the CGDN Program operated by auDA and is just one of the many projects the SDDCA provides for the local area.
by SDDCA Executive | Apr 29, 2013 | Community Notice, News, Roads and Traffic, Transport
the fight is over…
The state department of Transport and Main Roads recently released its long-awaited revised plan for the upgrade of the Bruce Highway between the Caloundra and Sippy Downs interchanges. The revised plan reflects community feedback on the original draft, which removed the on/off ramps at the Sippy Downs interchange. The new plan retains the ramps, providing full access to the Sunshine Motorway interchange for Sippy Downs residents. It also preserves the Tanawha Tourist Drive as a separate road from the new Bruce Highway western service road. The proposed flyover for northbound access from the Sunshine Motorway to the Bruce Highway has been replaced with a loop road, due to cost. However, in order to conform with national highway standards, all entry and exit points to the Bruce Highway between the interchanges will be removed, including at Frizzo and Pignata Road. Local access will be via the western service road, which will also service the Aussie World precinct, and the Pignata Road underpass will be upgraded.
In a separate announcement last week, the federal government has committed $4 billion for Bruce Highway upgrades. This funding includes construction of the northbound flyover from the Sunshine Motorway to the Bruce Highway. According to the Sunshine Coast Daily, $400 million has been allocated for this project. The SDDCA welcomes the announcement and is seeking clarification of the amount of funding and the implication for the revised plan, which replaces the flyover with a loop road.
