Updated ,first published
Almost 1 million square metres of roads will be resurfaced across Brisbane, in a cornerstone commitment of the LNP council’s new budget.
Dubbing the project “Operation Smooth”, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced in the City Hall chamber on Tuesday that $110 million would be spent repairing the city’s bitumen.
This would include the southern approach to the Story Bridge, as well as roads in Albion, Eagle Farm, Hamilton, Ipswich, Logan, Lutwyche, Moggill, and Toowong, among others.
“We’ll be focused on spending less where we can, but more where it counts,” Schrinner said.
“Now we know that when it comes to road resurfacing … those busy roads that are used by tens of thousands of vehicles every day, they need the priority, and we will be giving that priority.”
The lord mayor called the funding a “record investment”, although the Quirk LNP administration announced a $100 million Smoother Suburban Streets program in 2015 – significantly more money after accounting for inflation.
The Labor opposition jeered through Tuesday’s announcement. It has previously questioned council claims of record road resurfacing.
“Brisbane’s LNP council have had more than 20 years to fix our roads and have failed,” Labor leader Jared Cassidy said in a statement.
“As ratepayers are stuck in four peak hours of congestion per day, they’re surrounded by ‘Keeping Brisbane moving’ advertising. It feels like we’re living in an episode of Utopia.”
This masthead revealed on Tuesday the budget would also fund a 1.2-kilometre cycleway linking Shafston Avenue between Kangaroo Point and East Brisbane.
Schrinner added that $213 million would be spent subsidising bus, CityCat and Brisbane Metro services.
A further $400 million would go towards the Beams Road corridor upgrade and delivering intersection upgrades in Inala and Coorparoo, as well as a new crossing on Gympie Road in Bald Hill.
The Brisbane City Council budget for the next financial year is due to be unveiled on Wednesday morning.
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