CONSTRUCTION has started on the first stage of the Ripley Road and Fischer Road Upgrade improving the road network for the growing Ripley Valley.
The project will upgrade Ripley Rd from a rural two-lane road into a four-lane, median-divided urban arterial road.
Ripley Rd carries about 22,000 vehicles a day and is forecast to carry close to 40,000 by 2030, while Fischer carries more than 4000 a day and is forecast to carry more than 10,000 by 2030.
The upgrades are the result of Ipswich City Council partnering with the State Government to secure $73.6 million under the Government’s Residential Activation Fund.
Council will manage the design and construction of the two connecting roads in a staged approach:
- Stage 1 – Ripley Rd (between Cunningham Highway and Monterea Rd)
- Stage 2 – Ripley Rd (between Monterea Rd and Fischer Rd)
- Stage 3 – Fischer Rd (between Nevis Rd and Monterea Rd)
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the residents of the Ripley Valley had made it clear they wanted to spend their time enjoying the area’s parks, conservation areas and sporting clubs, not stuck in traffic.
“With a population expected to surge to 131,000 by 2046, Ipswich’s booming Ripley Valley is absorbing much of the growth of South East Queensland as a State Government-identified Priority Development Area,” Cr Harding said.
“Importantly, the construction will provide more avenues for active and public transport, with the inclusion of footpaths, cycling tracks and bus stops, while the rural Fischer Rd will be transformed into a two-lane urban sub-arterial road.”
Bielby Holdings has been awarded the contract for the works.
