$5m upgrade for key Maryborough roads
Motorists will have safer and smoother journeys through Maryborough following an almost $5 million upgrade of two key roads in the heritage city.
Local company JAC Civil has been awarded a $4.9 million contract to extend Sydney Street to Victory Street and rebuild Walker Street (Pallas Street to Ferry Street).
The upgrades to Sydney Street will start today (Monday November 28, 2022).
The work includes building a new one-way single lane road and a 2.5m wide footpath to join Sydney Street along the unformed section of Ariadne Street to Victory Street and the reconstruction of Walker Street between Pallas Street and Ferry Street.
Member for Maryborough Bruce Saunders said it was fantastic to see these safety upgrade for those accessing facilities on Sydney St.
“This is a collaboration between Fraser Coast Regional Council and the State Government to make it safer for the people of Maryborough.
“I am looking forward to seeing these jobs finished and more projects rolled out as part of the Works for Queensland funding.”
The Sydney Street project will improve the safety of motorists, Deputy Mayor Paul Truscott said.
“People accessing the touch football and soccer fields will be able to head back towards Maryborough along Sydney Street rather than having to enter on to the busy Hervey Bay-Maryborough Road.
“Drivers have had to wait up to 30 minutes to get onto the Hervey Bay to Maryborough Road which can lead to drivers becoming frustrated and making bad decisions and taking chances.
“Making the road one way will reduce the temptation for drivers to use it as a ‘rat run’ to Hervey Bay.”
The Walker Street works is another stage in the project to rebuild a major Maryborough thoroughfare, Cr Truscott said.
“Council started the project to rebuild Walker Street in 2017. We invested $2.9 million in rebuilding 1.1km of Walker Street between Stevenson and Croydon streets.
“Additional works completed in 2020/21 included new traffic signals at the Walker and Neptune Streets intersection and reconstruction of Walker Street from Neptune Street to Yaralla Street at a cost of $1.5M.
“At the same time, a $650,000 project by Wide Bay Water and Waste Services replaced 1.3km of 78-year-old cast iron water main down Walker Street, between Ferry and Neptune streets.”
Council has received $1.7m from Round 4 of the State Government’s Works For Queensland Program for the Sydney Street works, and $223,000 from the State Government’s Transport Infrastructure Development Scheme for the Walker Street works.