Brisbane’s Eastern Busway is the pride of Brisbane Transport and its frequent travellers alike.
It has been attributed with making the commutes of University of Queensland students considerably more convenient; along with providing easy access to great hospitals, and ultimately connecting Brisbane.
The first two stages of the busway were completed under former premier, Anna Bligh, shortly before the 2011 floods. The recovery efforts of which resulted in diminishing funds for the remaining stages.
The Eastern Busway currently runs from the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus to Langlands Park busway station in Stones Corner; the easternmost station on the busway. However, decade-old plans for an extension of the busway could soon commence.
Plans are ready for further stages of development of the Eastern Busway between Camp Hill, Coorparoo and Capalaba.
However, it is yet to be seen whether they will be part of Brisbane City Council’s $944 million Brisbane Metro project.
The Metro project consists of introducing two busways; Metro 1 will run from Eight Mile Plains to Roma Street, and Metro 2 will run from the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital to the University of Queensland.
The proposed plan for the Eastern busway would see it extend along the Old Cleveland Road, with the Department of Transport and Main Roads stating that in the meantime, they are “developing cost-effective short and medium term options on Old Cleveland Road, including intersection upgrades to allow for bus priority.”
With the population of Brisbane’s eastern suburbs projected to grow from 271,555 to 291,000 to by 2035, and traffic congestion being an ever-increasing issue in these suburbs, the proposed extension couldn’t come sooner.
The Council of Mayors of South East Queensland have listed the proposed extension as one of the top 10 most critical infrastructure projects. Local state candidates have all had their say in their dedication to seeing the infrastructure upgrade through, stating their support of taking on the issue.
Capalaba Labor MP Don Brown and Redlands Mayor Karen Williams have called for the Eastern busway project to be revisited, by petitioning the Queensland government. While the improvements to Old Cleveland Road are a promising start, residents remain hopeful that the shelved project will one day see the light and provide the much-needed infrastructure for East Brisbane.
If you're interested in learning more about Camp Hill, check out our suburb profile here.
