More works are underway on the $21.8 million Bundaberg rail resignalling project in Queensland with works to upgrade the Bourbong Street crossing commencing this week. This is the second out of the four crossings to be upgraded under the multi-million dollar investment.
The rail resignalling project is set to improve pedestrian safety as well as help reduce ongoing maintenance and risk of delays on the road.
“It’s great to see the Bundaberg resignalling project progressing well, with a new pedestrian maze, flashing lights and audible alarms now being installed at the Bourbong Street pedestrian crossing.
“Over the course of the entire project, more than 150 local jobs will be supported, providing a boon for the local economy. Additionally, traffic control will be in place to guide pedestrians through a detour around the construction site to ensure their safety, and so works can continue unobstructed,” Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said.
Works are also ramping up on the Perry Street crossing and it is expected to be commissioned later in 2019, while works to upgrade the Walker Street and Hanbury Street crossings are anticipated to begin in April and August 2019 respectively.
In addition to the crossing upgrades, the $21.8 million project will also include replacing the region’s signalling system to a more modern and reliable one that will also require less maintenance. A new signalling system will also help reduce traffic impacts when there is a fault.
“Currently, Bundaberg’s rail signalling system is linked, which means that when there is a power fault or other unprecedented failure, all of the rail crossings in the area are activated as a safety precaution, with the potential to cause widespread traffic impacts.
“By installing this new signalling technology across the Bundaberg rail network, the railway crossings at Hanbury Street, Perry Street, Maynard Road, Thabeban Road and Verdant Siding Road will then operate independently of one another,” Mr Bailey said.
Mr Bailey added that the new signalling system will isolate any incident or fault at one crossing, reducing the impacts to pedestrians and motorists at other crossings.
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Source: Queensland Government; Rail Express