Member for Lockyer Jim McDonald was delighted to see the Department of Transport and Main Road’s recent announcement of a $1.56 Million upgrade for the Brisbane Valley Highway through Fernvale. ‘The Brisbane Valley Highway is one of the busiest and most dangerous roads in Lockyer, so it’s wonderful to see some funding to improve safety for motorists and pedestrians in Fernvale.’ Said Mr McDonald.

Upgrades set to be rolled out under the funding include the installation of dedicated right turning lanes at key intersections, the construction of new pedestrian refuges and Township Entry Treatment works on the Southern end of Main Street.

‘Highly visible red pavement will be installed at the Southern end of Main Street to make motorists aware that they’re about to enter a busy township. This pavement will also be matched with new high visibility speed signs, denoting the change in speed limit from 60 to 50km/h.’ Mr McDonald said.

‘This drop in speed is something Fernvale residents have been calling for, for years. Not only will it make motorists safer, reduced speed limits will also assist pedestrians trying to cross the road.’

Mr McDonald said it was great to see multiple levels of Government working co-operatively to achieve results, thanking Somerset Regional Council for their efforts in campaigning for these upgrades.

‘It’s great to see Governments working co-operatively to improve road safety. Ultimately though, this work is just a token gesture from the Queensland Labor Government. Township Entry Treatment’s, like those planned for Fernvale, are being rolled out state wide and represent the lowest possible investment a Government can make. We’ve got a long way to go to ensuring safety on our roads and I won’t stop fighting until our roads are as safe as possible.’