Waterworks Road upgrade (Trout Street to Beth Eden Terrace) - AshgroveNewsletter August 2018I am pleased to present the detailed design for the Waterworks Road upgrade between Trout Street and Beth Eden Terrace at Ashgrove.

This upgrade is part of Brisbane City Council’s $1.3 billion commitment to more than 90 road improvement projects, to take real action on congestion by focusing on a range of solutions to improve the existing road network, getting residents home quicker and safer.

Council is planning to upgrade Waterworks Road between Trout Street and Beth Eden Terrace, Ashgrove to improve safety for road users, improve travel times and help cater for existing and future traffic demands along this busy corridor.

Traffic volumes along this section of Waterworks Road currently exceed capacity during peak periods, creating congestion and travel time delays, and are expected to increase without intervention. The $9.2 million project aims to improve traffic flow for general traffic and buses by providing two through-traffic lanes in each direction, an additional right-turn lane from Stewart Road into Waterworks Road and a dedicated left-turn lane into Ashgrove Avenue from Waterworks Road.

Safety is also a key consideration for the upgrade. From July 2011 to October 2017 there were 20 recorded accidents along this section of the corridor, including three resulting in hospitalisation and 14 resulting in medical treatment.

I am committed to growing our city while maintaining the character of our suburbs. As part of this road upgrade, 10 trees and three shrubs will need to be removed. Council will plant at least 20 trees in the local area to enhance amenity and maintain Ashgrove’s character.

In designing these projects, Council seeks community feedback on the concept design to inform the detailed design. I am pleased to say strong community support was received for this project and a summary of the consultation can be found inside this newsletter, along with a project plan showing the planned upgrade. Construction is expected to start in late 2018 and take approximately nine months to complete, weather and construction conditions permitting. I look forward to delivering this important road upgrade for the community.

Graham QuirkLord Mayor

Community feedbackIn March 2018, Council encouraged the community to provide feedback on the concept design for the Waterworks Road upgrade. A large volume of feedback was received from residents and road users, indicating strong support for the project. Feedback received from the community, as well as Council’s response, is detailed below.

Community feedback

Council’s response

Request for no-right-turn into Harry Street from Stewart Road.

Council is investigating making the no-right-turn into Harry Street from Stewart Road a no-right-turn at all times. This movement is currently banned at peak times. This change is to ensure that Stewart Road is not congested by traffic turning into Harry Street.

Concerns about loss of amenity from tree

Council has identified 10 trees and three shrubs will need to be removed as part of the upgrade. Council will replant at least 20 trees in the local area to

removal and enquiries about replanting.

maintain Ashgrove’s character of tree-lined streets. The trees will be native and a minimum of three metres high when planted to provide greenery and shade for pedestrians. Shrubs will be planted in the Waterworks Road central island to the west of Stewart Road and in the Waterworks Road central island to the west of Ashgrove Avenue to enhance the entrance to the Ashgrove shopping precinct.

Enquiries about rational behind changing the indented outbound bus stop to an in-lane bus stop, and how this will affect traffic congestion.

Currently there is a significant safety issue for bus drivers due to poor sight lines of approaching traffic when exiting the indented bus stop located outbound along Waterworks Road. Council undertook traffic modelling to understand the effect of an in-lane bus stop on outbound traffic compared to an indented bus stop. The modelling showed that while an in-lane bus stop has some minor impact on travel times, it is considered acceptable given the safety improvements.

Enquiries about providing eight all-day dedicated parking bays on the inbound side of Waterworks Road.

The eight all-day dedicated parking bays on the inbound side of Waterworks Road, adjacent to the local shopping precinct, will be in addition to the two inbound through-traffic lanes. This is to ensure through traffic is no longer blocked by parked cars. Specific details about the eight all-day dedicated parking bays, including whether they will be metered and any time limits applied will be determined by Council closer to project completion.

Suggestion to include a dedicated left-turn lane from Waterworks Road into Stewart Road.

Traffic modelling indicates the Waterworks Road and Ashgrove Avenue intersection creates queuing back to the Waterworks Road and Stewart Road intersection. A dedicated left-turn lane is being provided into Ashgrove Avenue, less than 200 metres east of Stewart Road, which will help ease congestion at the intersection of Waterworks Road and Stewart Road.

A dedicated left-turn lane from Waterworks Road into Stewart Road would require land from Stewart Place Park. After consultation with the community in 2014, Council has decided not to widen the road on the Stewart Place park side and as a result, there will be no impact on the park.

Questions about relocating the T2 lanes along Waterworks Road.

Traffic modelling undertaken in preparation for the Waterworks Road upgrade identified that the current location of the T2 lanes is contributing to congestion. In the outbound location, this is due to the short merge length between the end of the T2 lane and the signalised intersection with Ashgrove Avenue.

In the inbound location, this is due to the combination of the start of the T2 lane and the location of the existing bus stop east of Ashgrove Avenue. Modelling indicates the change to the T2 lane and the relocation of the inbound bus stop will increase inbound capacity by 25%.

Moving the T2 lanes by 150 metres on the eastern side of Ashgrove Avenue, in conjunction with the additional through traffic and turn lanes, will increase capacity through this constrained part of the corridor, improving travel times and reliability for road users.

Concerns about pedestrian connectivity and safety.

While there will be some footpath verge reduction along Waterworks Road, all pedestrian footpath space will be maintained in line with Council’s City Plan and will include landscaping in verge areas where space permits.

The landscaping, when planted, will provide greenery and shade for pedestrians, and the kerb along Waterworks Road (adjacent to Stewart Place Park) will be realigned to provide a slight increase to the footpath verge area.

Concerns that the concept design does not include bicycle lanes.

Dedicated, on-road bicycle lanes have not been included in the design due to the narrow traffic lane widths along the length of Waterworks Road. Off-road bicycle routes are available to the east and south of Waterworks Road that follow Enoggera Creek and Ithaca Creek respectively. Providing dedicated bicycle lanes along this stretch of road would require extensive land acquisition to widen the road corridor.

Waterworks Road upgradeTrout Street to Beth Eden Terrace, Ashgrove

For more information about this project, please call the Project Team on 1800 010 705.

ConstructionConstruction is scheduled to start in late 2018, with possible early service relocation works starting from October 2018. Construction of the upgrade is anticipated to take approximately nine months to complete, weather and construction conditions permitting.

Council is committed to keeping local residents and businesses informed of construction activity in their area, and will provide further information prior to the start of construction.

To enable construction of the road upgrade, changed traffic conditions will be required at times along Waterworks Road at Ashgrove. This will involve lane and shoulder closures, reduced speed limits and some delays.

Waterworks Road will remain open to traffic during the works and the most disruptive works will be undertaken at night and on weekends, when traffic volumes are lowest. Project benefits

Improved safety for all road users. Reduced traffic congestion and improved traffic flow. Improved travel times and reliability for commuters and public transport services. Enhanced accessibility to the local shopping precinct from eight all-day dedicated parking bays.

Project features Widening sections of Waterworks Road between Trout Street and Ashgrove Avenue to provide two

through-traffic lanes in each direction and a dedicated left-turn lane into Ashgrove Avenue, as well as extending the right-turn lane into Stewart Road.

Providing eight all-day dedicated parking bays on the inbound side of Waterworks Road adjacent to the local shopping precinct.

Widening the section of Stewart Road between Waterworks Road and Harry Street to improve traffic flow by providing an additional right-turn lane into Waterworks Road.

Relocating the inbound bus stop in the project area to reduce the impact on traffic flow and improve efficiency.

Replacing the indented outbound bus stop between Stewart Road and Ashgrove Avenue with an in-lane outbound bus stop to improve safety.

Relocating the inbound and outbound T2 lanes to the east by 150 metres on the eastern side of Ashgrove Avenue.

Reinstating kerb and channel. Road resurfacing and line marking.

Project timeframes

For more information To find out more about this project you can:

phone the project team on 1800 010 705 (business hours) phone Council on 3403 8888 (after hours) email cityprojects@brisbane.qld.gov.au and sign up for updates visit Brisbane.qld.gov.au and search ‘Waterworks Road upgrade’ write to:

Waterworks Road upgrade(Trout Street to Beth Eden Terrace)City Projects Office, Brisbane City Council GPO Box 1434, Brisbane Qld 4001.