The O’Keefe Street Velobridge project has reached a major milestone, as part of the wider Veloway 1 upgrade which is scheduled for completion before 2023 ends.
In October, construction works commenced for the installation and completion of a steel truss bridge over O’Keefe Street in Woolloongabba. The structure is a key component of the Velobridge, which will provide a new dedicated crossing for cyclists and other active transport users along the Veloway 1 route.
Through the bridge, “…V1 users will be able safely and efficiently continue their journey north or south without having to cross at Carl Street,” Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey said.
The O’Keefe Street Velobridge is part of the larger Veloway 1 upgrade, a dedicated cycleway between South Brisbane and Underwood. More than 1,800 weekday cyclists who utilize the route will benefit from this project.
“With the … installation of the steel truss bridge, we can really begin to visualise this valuable new connection for the V1,” Minister Bailey stated.
Stage D of the Veloway 1 (V1), an infrastructure project delivered by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, is now underway. When finished, the V1 will connect cyclists from Brisbane City to the Gateway Motorway at Eight Mile Plains. This project has been divided into five stages and right now, three stages are already completed and in use.
Stage D Completion
Veloway 1, Stage D (Photo credit: www.tmr.qld.gov.au)
Stage D, presently under construction, is scheduled to be completed by October 2017. It will run from Lewisham Street, Greenslopes to O’Keefe Street, Buranda. The Queensland Government has just announced a dedicated budget of $3.7 million for 2017-2018 out of the total $23.7 million proposed investment for the construction.
Stage D is divided into four sections, with completed sections 1, 2, and 4 that will only be in use once the ongoing Section 3 construction is completed. Other completed and upcoming stages of the V1 development can be viewed on Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads’ official website.
The V1 Project is a part of the $100-million, four-year Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane program that aims to extend Brisbane’s network of bikeways to provide ease of access to different destinations, especially the Central Business District. The BB4B program was launched by the Brisbane City Council in 2016.
Benefits and Advantages
Bike Routes to the CBD (Photo credit: www.space4cyclingbne.com)
The V1 project will successfully provide dedicated roads for cyclists that will ensure their safety and security. The 17-kilometre cycleway also promotes an active and healthy lifestyle. Cycling provides cardio benefits, and aids in strength conditioning, weight loss, and injury recovery.
Cycling to work, instead of just sitting in a car or on a bus, will be easier with the V1 project. With “Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane”, the community will be encouraged to walk or cycle. Over the last four years, South East Queensland has had a 12% increase in vehicle registrations that has contributed to greater congestion. The construction of the V1 will be able to reduce the number of vehicles on road; therefore, decreasing the congestion and decreasing the travel time from point A to point B, either via bicycle or car.
In a bid to study traffic and movement patters, eco-counters have been installed in some areas of the inner city, to monitor the volume of cyclists and pedestrians and help the Council understand how people are travelling. The data will be used in planning, monitoring, and maintaining the bikeways and pathways.
Along with promoting healthy lifestyle and minimising traffic congestion, the cycleway will reduce pollution in Greenslopes and nearby areas. Less cars also mean less pollution.
Green Affecting Green
Impacts of Veloway: Vegetation Degraded (Photo credit: www.norman-creek-catchment.org.au)
V1 has also had a controversial impact on the environment. During its construction, some areas of the Norman Creek riparian corridor were affected, destroying significant vegetation that had been growing for nine years, affecting flora and fauna that used to live here. Along with the decreased vegetation, possibilities of erosion also increased.
However, the Norman Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (N4C) established a Development Control Plan for this affected site and managed to bring back the beautiful green patch of forest and the faunas living here.
Every development project has impacts on the environment and the community, both positive and negative. Queensland Environment Offsets Act (QEOA) of 2014 aims to balance the unavoidable impacts of the infrastructure projects and developments to the environment and vegetation.
Offset restoration includes:
Revegetation and planting
Mulch to avoid soil erosion
Habitat enhancement through placement of coarse woody debris
Installation of natural or artificial hollows, perches, and nesting sites for the local wildlife’s habitat; and
Regeneration including weed management and native vegetation maintenance.
The government and the community aim to work together as joint stakeholders to provide alternate solutions for every negative outcome it will yield, similar to the solutions that N4C has come up with during the V1 project.
