Local motorists are demanding action over a notoriously dangerous road that has already claimed seven lives in just four years. *
The Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett said the time for talk on Rosedale Road (Bundaberg – Miriam Vale Road) was well and truly over.
“I recently held a community forum to hear from people who drive the road every single day, one thing’s abundantly clear; unless urgent action is taken, we will see another tragedy,” he said.
“The road recorded more than 50 fatal and serious injuries between 2015 and 2019, that statistic is heartbreaking.
Mr Bennett said there are a litany of problems with Rosedale Road and traffic movements expected to increase, he’s called on the Transport Minister to take urgent action.
“For a state road, Rosedale Road is absolutely abysmal and is far below what is expected of a high-use commuter route.
“There’s nowhere near enough visibility, there are no over-taking lanes and there are very few places where it is safe to pull over.
“The road is far too narrow in many places, there are numerous blind intersections, and the surface is dotted with rough patches and potholes.
“I have heard of stories of people getting sideswiped while trying to cross bridges, people being forced to run off the road to avoid collisions and more near misses at unsafe intersections than you can count.
“These are just the ‘minor’ incidents.
“This road has already claimed far too many lives, please don’t let it take any more.
“The Transport Minister has made claims of millions of dollars being spent on our local road network, but where are the results?
“All we’ve ever seen are recycled announcements, smoke and mirrors and deceptive language.
“If they want to increase our regos and hit us with new taxes, it’s time we see some real bang for our buck and improve the standard of Rosedale Road.
“I have written to Minister Bailey once again seeking critical investigation and action before it’s too late.”
Local motorist Karen Brown said the road is far from suitable considering the large volume of traffic.
“This road experiences huge traffic movements and is often used as an alternate route when there is a bad accident on the Bruce Highway,” she said.
“1770 and Agnes Water is being promoted as a tourist destination, however the road simply can’t keep up with the current volumes of traffic.
“There are several sections where it is extremely dangerous for motorists to travel, including Bottle Creek where cars and buses have been side swiped or forced to take evasive action due to the narrow bridge.
“This road is dangerous, it’s only a matter of time before we see another accident or worse if urgent action isn’t taken soon.”
ENDS.
* RACQ Statistics: https://racqi.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=2ab9f268294948f688b5c339993351fa