March 16, 2016
The D’Aguilar Highway and the New England Highway have been identified by RACQ members as among the Top 10 worst “unroadworthy” roads in Queensland.
RACQ spokesman Paul Turner said more than 400 local, State and Federal roads were reported to the Club last month through its Unroadworthy Roads Survey 2016.
“The biggest safety bugbear by far is rough road surfaces, followed by too-narrow roads or traffic lanes, poor road shoulders and roads prone to flooding,” Mr Turner said.
“Unsurprisingly the Bruce Highway tops the list of the most complained about roads; nominated for rough, narrow conditions, congestion, and sections which are constantly cut off by floodwater.”
Mr Turner said RACQ received around 900 responses to its survey which would now form a vital part of the Club’s representations to local, State and Federal governments on priority road maintenance and upgrade projects.
- Related article: Dob In A Dangerous Road
* * *
The Top 10 Unroadworthy Roads in Queensland:
1. Bruce Highway
2. Pacific Motorway
3. Mount Lindesay Highway
4. Captain Cook Highway
5. Rickertt Road, Ransome
6. D’Aguilar Highway
7. Kennedy Highway
8. Warrego Highway
9. New England Highway
10. Telegraph Road, Bracken Ridge.
* * *
Several South Burnett roads were amongst the 438 Queensland roads nominated by RACQ members:
- Ballogie – Wondai Chinchilla Road, from Tingoora to Durong
“Very poor surfaces exist in parts. Very narrow and terrible shoulders with sharp edges off bitumen.”
- Barlil-Silverleaf Road, from Murgon to Hivesville
“This road is rough, full of sinkholes, poor drainage. I have been driving on this road since I was 17 and nothing has been done to it since they widened it to 2 lane bitumen when I first started driving (apart from a 500 metre section of flood repairs).”
- Charlestown – Old Wondai Road, from end of bitumen to Tingoora-Charlestown Road
“Over the years we have had way too much under damage to our vehicles. Numerous flat tyres costing and wearing too soon, just to name a few problems.”
- Cinnabar – Kilkivan Tansey Road, from Tansey to Kilkivan
“The road has had some improvements but the single lane bitumen is quite dangerous particularly on the blind curves, most of this surface is rough and breaking up on the edges. A lot of traffic uses this road and most seem to travel too fast for the conditions. I have seen semi-trailers on this road and they just should not be using this road.”
“Sections of this road are still gravel and poorly maintained whilst other sections are single lane bitumen. Overall this road is poorly built and not maintained for the traffic that it takes daily.”
- Kilkivan – Kilkivan-Tansey Road, from Kilkivan to Cinnabar
“Narrow bridges with one in particular that is around a curve both sides and when driving frequently on this road it is always hoped that a semi-trailer is not coming around the opposite bend to enter the bridge. Both bridges are low and are subject to flooding. There is a one-lane bitumen road between these two horrible bridges.”
- Kingaroy – Kingaroy-Barkers Creek Road, from Tessmanns Road to Redmans Road
“Non-asphalt road type only built with two-part road mix. Surface breaks up after rains, with side drainage insufficient to cope with run-off from surrounding farming properties.”
- Kingaroy – D’Aguilar Highway, from Kingaroy-Cooyar Road to Knight Street/Kingaroy Street intersection
“As you can imagine this is a very busy road, the Taabinga State School zebra crossing crosses the highway just after Harris Road. The road itself is rough and pot hole damage is always apparent. The lack of overtaking shoulders is appalling. I travel the road daily and see near misses all of the time. If the Department of Transport and Main Roads (being the road owner) worked with the South Burnett Regional Council to improve overtaking opportunities then the traffic would flow better.”
- Kingaroy – Bunya Highway Roundabout, from Bunya Highway to River Road
“The bitumen all around the roundabout is bulging quite badly in places and getting worse. To drive you have to go slow and stick as close to the inside as possible to avoid damaging your car or an accident. It has been getting progressively worse – is used by a heap of traffic including trucks as it is a main route in and out of the town of Kingaroy.”
- Marshlands-Silverleaf Road, from Murgon to Hivesville
“Rough, narrow, potholes, worn out, drainage problems.”
- Nanango – McNamara Road, from Brooklands Road to McCauley Broome Road
“McNamara Rd is a dirt/clay road which is used by B-Double milk tankers. Even the slightest rain causes the clay to become slippery and boggy and the milk tankers have no option other than to slip and slide and tear up the road. After a period of a few days, the road is impassable by all but 4WD vehicles. Water does not drain off the road but collects along the side, eventually flooding across the road. There have been a number of accidents attributed to the state of the road.”
- South Nanango – Durrant Road, from Old Yarraman Rd to dead end
“Durrant Road is only 3m wide at its widest and is blocked by overhanging trees. Delivery vehicles and emergency vehicles cannot access residents on this road. The local council’s response to requests for work is “council has written this road off the books”.
- South Nanango – D’Aguilar Highway, from Yarraman to Kingaroy
“It is a main single lane truck and caravan route from Brisbane with a lot of heavy and also slower moving vehicles with only 2 overtaking lanes heading from Yarraman to Kingaroy and only 1 overtaking lane heading from Kingaroy to Yarraman and the road is having potholes occurring and the road being torn up. The fog lines on the side of the road from Yarraman to Nanango need to be repainted. Hard to see the edge of the road during fog.”
- South Nanango – Neumgna Road from Berlins Road to Behs Road
“Since amalgamation of shires, road is no longer maintained even though rates increased from $800 pa to $2600 per annum plus a road levy introduced; school bus has been cancelled due to dangerous condition of road.”
“Road part of South Burnett council responsibility. Since amalgamation rates have tripled and road maintenance has reduced from 6 monthly to every two to three years. A road levy introduced but no change. Local school bus will not use road to pick up children as they consider road dangerous.”
- Wheatlands – Byee Road, from Wondai Proston Road to Silverleaf Road
“Single lane road used to get to and from a country town school, buses and trucks use it also and I have had many smashed windscreens!!”
“Single lane road that trucks, cars and buses have to share resulting in many smashed windscreens.”
- Wondai – Bunya Highway, from Murgon to Tingoora
“This road is rough, just wide enough for two heavy vehicles to pass. Shoulders drop off rapidly.”
“Rough uneven surface. Narrow. Bad edges. You name it, it’s got it.”
- Yarraman – D’Aguilar Highway, from Moore to Yarraman
“Poor shoulders.”
So many complaints. So many dangerous roads.
The Ballogie area, opposite Neal and Kath Duff’s property, is bulging at the edges. This road was repaired just over 12 months ago.
Near Shellytop Road, again the edges have bulged and broken away. It is a disaster waiting to happen for a head on collision to happen near here. Don’t the previous road contractors have a warranty on their work? Is it deemed acceptable for shoddy and dangerous work to be left and not repaired?
Where is Damien Tessmann in all of this? The man who proclaims to get things done. No 1 Priority is roads (excuse me while I cough).
Here is a snapshot from his Facebook page: “The number one priority for me in this election has been roads – we need proactive action and not political posturing. That’s why today I brought the Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Senator James McGrath to the South Burnett to talk about the impact federal assistance grant funding losses have had on our region’s roads like Harms Rd between Wondai & Murgon. Also about the burden of the introduction of the road levy has had because of the funding losses. We need to keep the lobbying up on Canberra, I’ve already started and want to keep working hard to see it through. It’s the work a Mayor should be doing.”
Simon – I think you answered your own question. Everyone knows that to fix roads you need money. If we don’t increase rates from where do we get money? If we can’t afford our own roads we need to beg, borrow or steal – Canberra has the money so it makes sense to go there cap in hand. Keep trying, Damien. And whoever has that portfolio next term needs to keep knocking on doors in Brisbane and Canberra. One thing to consider is Old Wondai Road … it takes a bit longer, but you can use the Bunya Highway; granted it may not be much better.