Neil Street. This change to two-way traffic will follow
the conversion of Russell Street from Ruthven Street to
Neil Street to two-way traffic. It will give motorists more
options, ease of access to inner-city destinations,
improve traffic efficiency and ease congestion in the
inner city. Work on the section of Neil Street between
Russell Street and Herries Street involved changes
to traffic signals, installation of new conduits, new
concrete medians, chevrons and line marking and
signage. These works cement Council’s long-term
vision to support traffic flow and capacity in the inner
circulating road network in Toowoomba’s CBD.
Toowoomba Region as a strategic logistics hub
With the introduction of key infrastructure in West
Toowoomba including the Greater Toowoomba Waste
Management Facility, this year saw an evaluation of
traffic to the growing Enterprise Hub in Charlton. In
conjunction with the Queensland Government, Council
this year invested to ensure essential infrastructure
required for the development of this area. Steger Road
connects two key national transport networks; the
Warrego Highway in the south and the future MelbourneBrisbane inland rail alignment in the north. The scope of
the works includes the construction of approximately two
kilometres of the two-lane carriageway and associated
drainage works, and provision of a services corridor. This
project is being jointly funded by the State Government
and private industry.
The Toowoomba Regional Council has been
focussed for a number of years advocating for the
inland rail line linking Melbourne and Brisbane via
Wagga Wagga, Parkes and Moree to also include
Toowoomba. This Australian Government project has
received $300 million to finalise planning, engineering
design, as well as environmental assessments and
will be an important link in the Toowoomba Region’s
strategic logistics hub. The project will dramatically
reduce rail freight costs and transit times along the
eastern states and increase reliability. The inland rail
will make it cheaper and more efficient for businesses
to send goods to new markets around the country
and for export while using a mode of transport that
is safe and environmentally responsible. Council has
liaised with the Australian Rail Track Corporation as
well as the Department of Transport and Main Roads
as required and featured the project as part of the
Toowoomba Transport and Logistics Symposium.
Toowoomba Second Range Crossing
The TSRC will provide commercial and heavy vehicles
with an alternative crossing of the range to the north
of Toowoomba. It will run from the Warrego Highway
at Helidon in the east, to the Gore Highway at Athol in
the west via Charlton. This work will be supported by
Council as we upgrade existing road infrastructure to
integrate with the TSRC and provide important links to
highly trafficked roads across the region.
Work has started on a major upgrade of Boundary
Street this year that will help transform Toowoomba’s
transport network. These works will provide a
connection to the new TSRC and weather permitting
will be completed in early 2017. This exciting project
will bring significant economic and social benefits
to the region in conjunction with the Toowoomba
Second Range Crossing and improve flood immunity
to this link. Boundary Street will be upgraded in four
stages over the next two years to help cater for future
growth in our transport network and provide improved
access to the commercial and industrial areas on
Toowoomba’s western outskirts. The first two stages
of the upgrade works will involve constructing a new
section of Boundary Street north of the Hermitage
Road-Ganzer Road intersection to where it will connect
to the TSRC, as well as constructing the missing
section between Pedersen and Bedwell Streets.
Council has also commenced works to upgrade Mort
Street to provide an additional connection to the TSRC.
The $25 million Council-funded upgrade of sections
of Mort Street would help to improve traffic flow to
and from the new Second Range Crossing when
completed in late 2018. The upgrade works will be
carried out from Jellicoe Street to the TSRC with Mort
Street intersection upgrades at Hogg/Griffiths streets;
North Street; and West/Jellicoe streets. The project
will be constructed in stages, with the first section of
works extending from the Mort/Jellicoe/West streets
intersection to Black Gully. The Mort Street connection
upgrade will provide a new entry point into the city
from the TSRC, and will cater for future growth in
Toowoomba’s transport network.
Integration of transport options, public transport,
pedestrian and cycling networks
The construction of the state-of-the-art new
Toowoomba City Library and other major
developments in the Toowoomba CBD caused
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