Around 141 individual pieces of feedback was received, and there was widespread support for the proposed design, with about 90% of respondents either in favour or neutral in their support for the project.

View the details on the consultation process and a summary of the responses received.

The upgrade

The Beaudesert Road and Illaweena Street intersection sits at the junction of Calamvale, Drewvale and Parkinson. Previous planning studies have identified the intersection as a priority upgrade location due to congestion and safety concerns.

The department is taking a staged approach to progressively upgrade Beaudesert Road, starting at the Illaweena Street intersection.

The project includes:

• upgrading Beaudesert Road to 6 lanes for approximately 450m south of Illaweena Street (to tie into Logan Enhancement Project)
• upgrading Beaudesert Road to 6 lanes north of Illaweena Street and tying into the existing 4-lane carriageway
• replacing left-turn slip lanes at the intersection with signalised left-turn lanes
• extending the right-turn lanes at the intersection to increase capacity
• safer pedestrian and cycle crossings at the intersection
• upgrading bus stops located before and after the intersection
• providing a shared path adjacent to Beaudesert Road northbound lanes.

A key highlight of the design is a protected intersection, which includes innovative design features to separate bicycle riders from general traffic and pedestrians so all roads users can safely share the intersection. This will deliver a safer and more predictable environment for all road users and will encourage more people to get on a bicycle and keep active.

Consultation process

• About 12,000 newsletters were delivered to the community through a letterbox drop as well as distribution via community hubs and the offices of elected representatives in the area.
• A dedicated project web page, an online survey and interactive map were available and used to submit feedback.
• Social media was used to encourage community feedback and provide consultation information.

Design concept

Summary of responses

Of the 141 responses received through the consultation process, about 90% were either in favour or neutral about the proposed design.

Of these responses:

• 111 online responses received
• 4 calls received
• 26 emails received
• 50% of respondents who completed the online survey said that they avoided Beaudesert Road and Illaweena Street intersection during peak hour period due to congestion.
• Traffic congestion and motorist safety were identified as the most important issues at the intersection, followed by the safety of those walking and riding bicycles.
• The new signalised intersection was ranked as the most important element of the proposed design by respondents who took the online survey.

Observations raised during consultation included:

• The replacement of the existing slip lanes with signalised left-turn lanes was seen by some as potentially adding to congestion.
  Response to issue: Through the design review process, we have found that the replacement of the existing slip lanes will have minimal impact on the efficiency of traffic movements and will improve safety for all road users.
• Traffic light sequencing was raised as a contributor to queuing, particularly for vehicles travelling from Algester Road through the intersection towards Illaweena Street.
  Response to issue: We will be monitoring the traffic demand and signal operations at the intersection to optimise signal timing and minimise wait times for all road users.
  
• The need to extend road widening along Beaudesert Road to 3 lanes north to Compton Road.
  Response to issue: We recognises the increased traffic volumes along Beaudesert Road and will consider further road widening in future improvements to the corridor.
• Bus stop relocation and the need for bus priority lanes and larger bus bays were raised as potential issues for public transport users.
  Response to issue: The bus stop relocations have been made to improve access and safety for public transport users as well as support travel time efficiencies for all road users.
• Removal of the existing southbound U-turn on Beaudesert Road was seen as problematic by some respondents.
  Response to issue: The removal of the U-turn has been made in alignment with the new protected intersection design and supports our goal of providing a safer environment for all road users.

The project is set to commence in late June 2022. We will continue to update the community about the Beaudesert Road and Illaweena intersection upgrade project via distributing notifications to residents and businesses along the project alignment, via email, and updating the project’s web page.

Project update

Construction to commence in mid-2022 and is scheduled to be completed by mid-2023, weather and working conditions permitting.