SEVEN of the eight contentious level crossings in the Calvert (rural Ipswich) to Kagaru (Scenic Rim) leg of the Inland Rail project have been replaced with overpasses or alternate access routes.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) reported on Monday that the “new engineering solutions” had been designed as a result of public consultation with the communities along the route and other key stakeholders.
The 53km section known as C2K (Calvert to Kagaru) has a $1.2 billion budget and will be built under a public-private partnership agreement.
The route diverts from the West Moreton rail line at Calvert, south west of Rosewood, and runs through Ebenezer then south of Willowbank before cutting north of Harrisville and on through Washpool, south of Peak Crossing. Just east of Washpool the rail line will enter a 1.1km tunnel through the Teviot Range and link with the Sydney to Brisbane rail line at Kagaru, north of Bromelton.
This leg of the single track, dual gauge Inland Rail project will involve the construction of 27 bridges, up to four crossing loops.
ARTC Public-Private Partnership Director Tony Lubofsky said his team had undertaken extensive public consultation since 2017.
“We are always listening to feedback from the community,” he said.
“There has also been feedback through the Senate Inquiry and formal submissions to the Queensland Coordinator General through the Environmental Impact Statement Process.
“One of the common pieces of feedback has been around reducing level crossings wherever possible.
“The project team has identified the opportunity to remove seven of the eight level crossings, where a feasible alternative could be identified.
“We will now be going back to update these communities about the latest changes.
“Our interactive Social Pinpoint map will be updated in the coming weeks to reflect the changes and allow users to view visualisations of proposed designs as well as interact with our team quickly and easily.”
Road bridges will replace the planned level crossings at rail line intersections with Middle Road in Peak Crossing, Washpool Road in Washpool and Wild Pig Creek Road in Kagaru.
A rail bridge will replace the planned level crossing on Dwyers Road in Washpool.
Alternate access routes and new sections of road will be constructed to replace the planned level crossings at Hayes Road at Lanefield outside Rosewood, M Hines Road in Ebenezer and Glencairn Road at Purga.
The level crossing which will remain along the route is the Wild Pig Crossing West at Kagaru.
ARTC will run further community consultation sessions on November 23, 24 and 29.
