DELIVER A SECOND RIVER CROSSING IN IPSWICH CENTRAL TO TRANSFORM MOVEMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS IPSWICH
A multi-modal flood-immune second river crossing in Ipswich Central will future-proof the inner-city road network against population growth, increasing flood risk and unsafe driving conditions due to increasing congestion. A second river crossing will support connectivity, inner-city revitalisation, and economic development by providing an alternative route for through traffic. A second river crossing is integral to enabling Ipswich Central to fulfil its roles as a Principal Regional Activity Centre.
Ipswich Central Second River Crossing Factsheet (PDF, 1.8 MB)
COMMITMENT REQUIRED
$4 million is required to progress the Ipswich Central Second River Crossing to shovel-ready status by further developing the preferred option in a Detailed Business Case.
About the Ipswich Central Second River Crossing project
Why is this project important?
Benefits to Ipswich:
- Unlocks bottleneck and improves road safety
- Provides safe, flood-immune connectivity across the city
- Facilitates public and active transport connectivity
- Enables Ipswich Central to fulfil its role as economic centre
- Improves cross-river connectivity and permeability.
Benefits to South East Queensland:
- Disperse congestion
- Strengthen regional road network efficiency and resilience
- Improve road safety
- Provide a flood-immune crossing
- Support economic productivity
- Supports national highway diversion routes
- Leverage $300 million investment in Ipswich Central.
If we do nothing:
- Excessive congestion will cost the economy $70 million p.a. in 2036
- Higher than average avoidable crash rates will persist, costing $18 million p.a. in 2036
- Network failure during incidents and flooding
- Local businesses will continue to suffer from congestion and amenity impacts.
Success to date
Council delivered the Strategic Assessment (Stage 1: Business Case) in 2017 and Preliminary Business Case (Stage 2: Business Case) for this project in 2020, which was revised in 2023. These investigations identified a second river crossing to be the preferred solution to combating congestion in Ipswich Central and to further support the redevelopment of the Ipswich city centre to be a vibrant and prosperous principal regional activity centre. Earlier feasibility studies were delivered with the support of the Queensland Government.
The Stage 1 submission has been assessed by Infrastructure Australia and has been included on the Infrastructure Priority List as an early stage proposal.
What's next
This project achieved the following milestones:
- Strategic Business Case/Stage 1 Business Case (completed 2017)
- Preliminary Business Case/Stage 2 Business Case (completed 2020)
- Infrastructure Australia Infrastructure Priority List inclusion.
Current steps are:
- Advocating to State and Federal Government for funding commitments to support the progress of a Detailed Business Case.
Future milestones are:
- Options Analysis/Stage 2 Business Case
- Funding commitment for next phase
- Detailed Business Case
- Funding secured for construction
- Construction
- Operation.