New Bridge Over Bruce Opens
Published 15 December 2014
An important new multi-million dollar bridge that provides a direct link between Stockland’s award-winning masterplanned North Lakes’ community and Dakabin has opened to traffic.
The $13 million bridge has been built by Stockland and connects Kerr Road at North Lakes to the Moreton Bay Regional Council’s new $14.1 million Plantation Road on the western side of the Bruce Highway.
The 95 metre Plantation Road Bridge was initiated by Moreton Bay Regional Council to improve travelling times and accessibility for drivers travelling between North Lakes and suburbs on the western side of the highway.
Stockland Regional Manager, David Laner, said the completion of the bridge, located between the Anzac Avenue and Boundary Road overpasses, was a major milestone for North Lakes and the Moreton Bay Region.
“It will give North Lakes’ residents quick and easy access to suburbs on the western side of the Bruce Highway. It will also be beneficial for the many people who commute to North Lakes for work and those who travel to our community for its facilities and services,” Mr Laner said.
Completion of the bridge is the latest element of ongoing work by Stockland with $1.3 billion worth of retail, commercial and residential investment planned over the next decade.
The North Lakes Town Centre and Business Park is home to Australia’s largest Bunnings, Queensland first Costco warehouse, Masters Home Improvement store, Westfield Shopping Centre and hundreds of local businesses.
Mayor Allan Sutherland said council had recently invested $14.1 million in the construction of Plantation Road to link the new Plantation Road Bridge with Old Gympie Road, 1.5 kilometres to the west.
“In addition to building Plantation Road, Moreton Bay Regional Council has also contributed $1.4 million to widen the bridge’s substructure and approaches to accommodate an upgrade to four lanes as required in later years,” said Mayor Sutherland.
“It’s new transport infrastructure designed to support the Moreton Bay Region’s growth now and into the future.”
Traffic forecasts suggest the new Plantation Road link will initially carry up to 12,000 vehicles per day.
It is the first of the region’s three new transport crossings over Bruce Highway with the Moreton Bay Rail Link Bridge and the Pumicestone Road Interchange currently under construction.
Moreton Bay Regional Council’s Division Four Councillor Julie Greer said she was honoured to cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the bridge and Plantation Road to Old Gympie Road.
“The opening of the bridge and Plantation Road has been the talk of North Lakes and I particularly want to thank the residents of Kerr Road for their patience during construction,” said Cr Greer.
Stockland predicts North Lakes will eventually provide more than 13,000 jobs for the region.
“Plantation Road, the new bridge over the Bruce Highway, and the Moreton Bay Rail Link are expected to prime our region for unprecedented investment, economic growth and local jobs in coming years,” Mayor Sutherland said.