Sumners Road Interchange Upgrade

The Sumners Road interchange is located on the Centenary Motorway, around 2km north of the Ipswich Motorway and 1.3km south of the Dandenong Road interchange at Jamboree Heights in Brisbane.

The interchange is a key access point to the Centenary Motorway and provides access to the large residential catchment of Middle Park, Mount Ommaney, Jamboree Heights and Sumner to the west of the Centenary Motorway, and a large residential and industrial catchment of Seventeen Mile Rocks and Darra to the east.

Prior to the upgrade, the interchange and adjoining entry and exit ramps to the motorway were operating beyond capacity and the active transport options at the interchange were limited. 

Application of the Cycling Infrastructure Policy

The Sumners Road interchange is identified as a principal cycle route in the South East Queensland Principal Cycle Network Plan.

In line with the department's Cycling Infrastructure Policy, the Sumners Road interchange upgrade delivered:

• a new 500m grade-separated bike riding track on the western side of the Centenary Motorway, including a 50m-long tunnel under the western intersection of the Sumners Road interchange
• new signalised intersections replacing two roundabouts, providing safer crossings for pedestrians and bike riders
• a new westbound bridge with a 3m-wide shared path for bike riders and pedestrians and a 2m-wide on-road bicycle lane
• a new eastbound bridge with 2m-wide on-road bicycle lanes
• new 2m-wide on-road bicycle lanes and new footpaths throughout the project area.

The upgrade was completed in March 2021 as part of the overall Sumners Road interchange upgrade that had a total project cost of $80 million.

Benefits and outcomes of the Sumners Road Interchange Upgrade

The project has significantly improved the area's local active transport network. People walking and riding bikes now have safer, faster and more direct access to local businesses and residential areas, as well as better connections to existing active transport facilities such as the Centenary Cycleway.

The Sumners Road interchange bike riding track and tunnel:

• fill a crucial missing link in the Centenary Cycleway and provide an uninterrupted north-south route for commuter and recreational bike riders who no longer need to cross at the Dandenong Road and Sumners Road intersection
• have eliminated potential conflicts between motor vehicles and bike riders at intersections on the main Centenary Cycleway by reducing traffic signal phases and crossings, creating efficiencies and safer journeys for both bike riders, pedestrians and motorists
• feature lighting inside the tunnel to improve safety and visibility for users
• is complemented by high quality landscaping to provide shade and improve amenity.

The new shared path on the westbound bridge replaced a narrow footpath and 2 slip lane crossing points on the Centenary Motorway entry and exit ramps. It now provides bike riders and pedestrians with a safe east-west connection across the Centenary Motorway, with signalised crossings at all points and includes barriers to separate path users from traffic and further improves safety.