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Project overview

The department has developed designs to improve safety on the high-speed sections of Gatton-Helidon Road to reduce crashes and travel times, increase transport efficiency and support economic growth in the Lockyer Valley.

The Queensland Government invested $4.6 million in this design project through the Targeted Road Safety Program.

TMR would like to thank the community for taking the time to provide feedback to inform the design.

How TMR engaged

TMR consulted with the community, property owners and key stakeholders during the design phase through the following:

• social media
• online interactive map and survey
• property owner and stakeholder meetings
• site and property visits.

What you told us

Feedback on social media and the online interactive map highlighted the community’s priorities:

• widen the road and install overtaking lanes and/or turning lanes at key intersections (31 per cent) 
• improve driver behaviour and compliance (22 per cent)
• remove roadside hazards including vegetation and improve visibility (16 per cent)
• reduce speed limits (9 per cent)
• improve flood immunity and drainage (4 per cent)
• improve lighting, lines and signs (4 per cent)
• other (10 per cent).

Contributors to the online survey overwhelmingly responded to retain the railway underpass from Gatton- Helidon Road to Lawlers Road as a 2-way underpass.

How TMR used your feedback

The proposed design includes:

• Road widening and installing a wide centre line to improve the separation between vehicles travelling in opposite directions and reduce the risk of head-on crashes (see image below).
• Installing dedicated right and left turning lanes at Old Toowoomba Road and Flagstone Creek Road intersections to improve traffic flow and reduce the risk of rear-end crashes.
• Audio tactile line marking on the centre line and edge lines through the high-speed sections.
• Wider road shoulders at smaller intersections to allow through traffic to more easily overtake turning vehicles.
• Improving visibility and safety of the roadside environment by clearing vegetation, removing hazards and re-shaping table drains. Where the slope cannot be reduced on the roadside batter, guardrails will be installed to reduce the risk of vehicles running off the road.
• New signage and line marking will be installed, and lighting will be provided at Robinsons Road, Wells Road, Old Toowoomba Road and Flagstone Creek Road intersections.
• Stabilising the cuttings between the Lockyer Creek bridge and Old Toowoomba Road.

The proposed design does not include:

• Road rehabilitation, improvements to road rideability and overtaking lanes. The design includes adding width to the existing road and applying a new seal over the full width.
• Improvements to flood immunity. The project aim is to maintain the existing drainage flow and capacity. Flood modelling was undertaken to confirm there will be ‘no worsening’ of flood impacts across the project area as a result of the design.
• Speed limit reductions. Rather than reducing the speed, the design includes treatments such as road widening, a wide centre line and intersection upgrades to improve safety in the existing speed environments.
• Intersection improvements at the railway underpass to Lawlers Road. Community feedback indicated a preference to upgrade the intersection. TMR will investigate opportunities for intersection improvements as part of future projects.

 Image: Example (New England Highway) with wide centre line to improve the separation between vehicles travelling in opposite directions.