Work crews and equipment have begun arriving at the site of the Youngs Crossing upgrade project, which will significantly enhance reliability of a key transport connector in City of Moreton Bay.
The construction is part of the City’s vital flood-immunity project which has made possible with support from all tiers of Government including $51.6 million in funding from the Federal Government and $15 million from Queensland Government
Mayor Peter Flannery, Federal Member for Dickson Ali France, Labor Senator for Queensland Corinne Mulholland, Councillors Cath Tonks and Jim Moloney, principal contractor Seymour Whyte and design contractor HDR marked the milestone at a sod-turning ceremony at the site on Friday, 11 July.
Mayor Flannery said it was an historic day, with the countdown to the 2027 opening of the new-four lane bridge and road officially underway.
“The site will become a hive of activity over the coming weeks as crews from our principal contractor, Seymour Whyte Constructions, work towards delivering this important flood-immune river crossing for City of Moreton Bay and its communities,” he said.
“This highly anticipated upgrade is one of the most extensive road infrastructure projects to be delivered by Council, with other improvements including new pedestrian, cycling and safety features.
“I’m pleased that our Council has been able to pull this project out of the ‘too hard basket’ where it has been stuck for decades.
City of Moreton Bay announced in May it had signed a contract with Seymour Whyte for $86 million for a significant portion of works on Youngs Crossing Road.
For generations, heavy rain events and water flows into the North Pine River and Sideling Creek have led to the closure of Youngs Crossing Road, causing delays, congestion on surrounding roads and economic impacts. The road is used by more than 20,000 vehicles a day and since 2021 the crossing has been closed for an average of 12 days a year. This year, the road has already been closed for a total of 14 days.
“Each and every event impacts both residents and businesses, sometimes for days on end,” Mayor Flannery said.
“With our City experiencing rapid growth, this project will deliver much-needed flood immunity and cater for increasing volumes of traffic on this stretch of road. We thank both the Federal and State governments for financially supporting this crucial upgrade.”
Federal Member for Dickson Ali France said she knew just how much sudden road closures due to rain impact our community.
“This significant road update will help people in Dickson get home faster, so they can spend more time with their families and less time on the road. This project will be felt for generations to come.
“In 2024 the Albanese Government announced it would commit an additional $18.9 million towards the project, bringing our total commitment to $51.6 million and demonstrating our support for this critical project.”
Mr Mickelberg said the Crisafulli Government was supporting the project by providing $15 million towards the enhancement on and around Dayboro Road.
“We’re committed to delivering the vital transport infrastructure communities across our State need to ensure safety, reliability, and connectivity,” he said.
“Part of the upgrade includes improvements to the Dayboro Road intersection, which includes boosting its turning capacities, additional lanes, new cyclist and pedestrian facilities and safety improvements.”
Senator Mulholland, a long-time local, said it was great to see this project coming to fruition.
“It is fantastic that work will soon kick off on this much-needed upgrade for the community who have experienced frequent closures of this vital crossing for years. It’s a project the Australian Government is proud to support,” she said.
Councillor Moloney, Division 8 said: “This is an exciting day. I know locals will be pleased to see construction begin after many years of waiting for a more flood-resilient crossing over the North Pine River.”
Councillor Tonks, Division 9 said: “It’s great to see work crews and equipment on site for this long-awaited upgrade, which is crucial to improve road safety and capacity. Having lived locally my whole life it is an exciting time – there will be some disruptions while work is happening, so I urge locals to please be patient.”
Mayor Flannery urged residents and road users to register for project updates.
For the latest on the project, visit www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/youngs-crossing and register via the ’Stay Connected’ link.
