For years now traffic density has been increasing year on year out of Bellbowrie/Moggill. For all intents and purposes there are two exits from the "peninsula". One is to turn left, up Mount Crosby road and head west to Ipswich, while the other far more popular route is along Moggill Rd and into the city. Most cars go through the already crowded Kenmore, and through multiple school zones.
There has been a number of proposed solutions over the years. When I first moved into the area in 2006 my estate agent informed me of a corridor of land that was reserved a few hundred meters from the house I bought, that may one day be home to a dual carriageway. She said that had been in the pipeline for 25 years though and nothing had happened. Formally known as the Moggill Pocket Arterial Road / Moggill-Warrego Highway Connection.
The two projects in recent years are the Goodna Bypass which would cut across the Bellbowrie/Moggill peninsula twice, with two bridges. That was going to be an upgrade of the Ipswich motorway but it feel through after its federal funding never materialised in 2008. Thank God.
Then there was the proposed bridge to replace the Moggill Ferry. In my opinion that wasn't going to solve the problem for the vast majority, and it also introduces a shortcut for Ipswich residents to get to Kenmore/Indroopopilly. No thanks!
The most recent development, as championed by the member for Moggill, Dr Bruce Flegg, is the Kenmore Bypass. The corridor of land has been bought, the planning is in an advanced stage. I think the project has stalled on funding though, after the 2011 flood. You can read more about it here. The bypass would divert cars a few kilometers before Kenmore and put them at the Fig Tree Pocket / Western Freeway junction. Pretty much perfect. Nearly...
One glaringly obvious option is a Bridge. Not a bridge from Moggill to Riverview (no one wants that). A bridge from Bellbowrie to Sumner Road at Riverhills would be ideal. What's more, it's believed that funding was given to the Brisbane City Council for this bridge, as part of the developlment of Bellbowrie getting greenlighted in the 1970's (see here). There's also talk of a Green Bridge to Wacol but I don't think that's the best either.
If it were up to me, the bridge would go from near Birkin Rd (the road the runs beside the shopping center) and across to Sumner Road, which would direct traffic onto the Western Freeway, or to Mt Ommaney. Currently to the drive to Mt Ommaney and that side of the river takes 25+ minutes, and many people do it, as Mt Ommaney has the largest shopping Centre in the area (at least while Indooroopilly is being expanded).
A bridge in this location would open up a range of important possibilities. One of those is the use of the Centenary State High School as an alternative to Kenmore State High School. Bellbowrie/Moggill has a massive community of under 6 year olds at the moment, and it 6 years those children are going to nee a Highschool to attend. If the bridge existed, Centenary SHS would be closer than Kenmore SHS and give the ability for teens to cycle to school and back.
Bellbowrie/Moggill now has a primary school of 700 kids and growing. A McDonalds is about to open. A local Tavern will also be complete in the next 6 months, along with the Shopping Centre doulbing in size, with a Woolworths and Department Store (hopefully Big W) as well as other smaller shops. Bellbowrie is booming again and with all the land developments also going on it's only going to surge in population more. We need something better than Moggill Rd. And so do the downstream residents (Kenmore etc)
