Houghton Highway
Encyclopedia
The Houghton Highway is a 2.74 km (1.7 mi) reinforced concrete
viaduct
, shortening the road distance between the cities of Redcliffe and Brisbane
in Queensland
, Australia
. The bridge, along with its duplicate, the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge
, are the longest bridges in the country.
Almost immediately after opening it faced a greater capacity task than originally intended, and in later years became a contentious issue politically with concerns about its ability to meet growing traffic demands, refusal to build another bridge, and the lowering of its speed limit.
in the 1970s, the Department of Main Roads
investigated the construction of another structure to increase capacity and cope with future demand. Authorisation by the department was given to construct a new bridge in 1977, and the new Houghton Highway opened on 20 December 1979, by the then Premier of Queensland, The Hon
Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
.
The Houghton Highway is named after The Hon James 'Jim' Houghton, Member for Redcliffe
(1960–1979) and Speaker
(1974–1979). Houghton resigned from parliament
on 7 August, four months before the bridge opened.
by headstocks connected to five octagonal piles
each.
A notable characteristic of the Houghton Highway, other than its significant length, is the particularly rough surface and therefore ride quality. In addition, each concrete span has a slight concave curve, so a distinct corrugated ride is felt when driving over the bridge. These unfinished surface characteristics are due to the absence of a bitumen overlay.
survey recognised the Houghton Highway as the number one "pain in the neck" with Queensland motorists. Some 1200 members responded to this survey, asking them to nominate problem roads and intersections in the state. Respondents identified problems with insufficient capacity, problems with tidal flow or an accident/breakdown on the bridge causing major congestion, an inappropriate speed limit (60 km/h (37.3 mph) trial, now permanent), and the lack of consideration given by authorities to another bridge crossing.
The initial deck layout (from west to east) consisted of two 3700 mm (145.7 in) lane
s, an 1800 mm (70.9 in) shoulder
or "breakdown lane", and a 1900 mm (74.8 in) footway
. With just a diminutive reinforced concrete kerb
to separate pedestrians from 80 km/h (49.7 mph) passing traffic, the use of the footway was minimal. While the bridge had a southbound breakdown lane, it did not prevent severe disruption to northbound traffic caused by breakdowns in that direction. This layout may appear to be a design oversight; however, it is important to remember that the two-way traffic flow was only meant to be temporary.
With the Hornibrook Bridge now closed for refurbishment, engineers were able to make a closer examination to determine more clearly the extent of work required. They found that deterioration of the bridge was worse than first expected, and the cost to bring the old bridge up to an acceptable standard, and its continued maintenance, would be far greater than original predictions. At the same time, the state government believed that Redcliffe's future growth would be in its western areas, and therefore the connections of Redcliffe to the Bruce Highway
should receive more attention – the original land-based and much longer route to Brisbane before the Hornibrook Bridge opened in 1935.
The investigation found that, with the removal of the unsafe and unpopular pedestrian footway, the bridge could accommodate three lanes, and a tidal flow arrangement would provide extra capacity of two lanes where and when it was needed most – southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon and evening (reverse on weekends). Because this new layout did not involve breakdown lanes, emergency telephones and overhead lighting were also fitted to the bridge at the same time. Interestingly, the Houghton Highway did not originally include overhead lighting, whereas the old bridge did.
Modifications to the bridge commenced in March 1982, and completed by 3 September the same year, at a total cost of $435,000. Materials used included six gantries
, eight switchable message signs, 54 traffic signals, two mast arms, 51 overhead lights, 12 emergency telephone
s, 27.5 km (17.1 mi) of power cable and 2 km (1.2 mi) of communication cable.
ing of the concrete leaving the reinforcing steel
exposed to the marine environment.
Some 500 piles were encased in concrete below the water surface and up to 500 mm (19.7 in) above the high water level. Above this point, an externally bonded carbon fibre reinforced polymer was applied, wrapping the column to cover the damage and contain and conceal the existing cracks. It was also believed that such composites offered re-strengthening and a protection of the piles through encapsulated resin during the lamination.
The treatment work was completed in 2000, and the repairs and condition of the piles are continually monitored.
To dispel the public concerns, the Department of Main Roads ordered an upgrade of the bridge's tidal flow system. Commissioned in 2002 at a cost of $1.8 million, this upgrading included the replacement of the overhead arrow and cross signals with brighter, LED
displays, monitoring of traffic flows and conditions with supervision of the system data and view of the bridge by CCTV
at the remote Traffic Management Centre in Woolloongabba
, Brisbane. Operators were for the first time also able to close and open lanes as required from the remote location.
The upgrade project suffered delays from "technical issues", compelling the Transport and Main Roads Minister, The Hon Steve Bredhauer
, to thank Redcliffe residents for their patience. Just six months later, the minister apologised for extensive delays after the system failed when a council contractor cut both the main and back-up power supplies to the tidal flow system just before 10:00am. Evening peak hour traffic was severely disrupted and banked-up for several kilometres as the bridge fell into "safe mode" with just one lane open in each direction for over 10 hours until Energex
reconnected power at 8:00pm. Changes implemented after this incident included a better back-up power supply that was separate from the main supply, tighter controls on works near the bridge requiring approval by the Department of Main Roads first, and a variable message sign
on the Gateway Motorway
at Deagon
to warn motorists of delays and suggest taking the longer, western route to Redcliffe via the Bruce Highway.
. This 500 m (1,640.4 ft) approach was previously 80 km/h along with the bridge, and became 60 km/h with it. The professed reason behind this reduced speed limit was to reduce crash incidents, therefore reducing delays and blockages.
This reduced speed limit was initially a trial for nine months from September 2003 until June 2004, then a further unexplained six months. The Redcliffe City Council
moved in a General Purposes Committee meeting on 8 October 2003, that it can not support a 60 km/h speed limit trial, and requested to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads that the trial period be reduced to just three months. The minister replied committed to the nine-month trial.
In late November 2004, the state government declared the trial a success, using crash data that allegedly showed only three crashes in the nine-month trial period. The data did not include vehicle breakdowns on the bridge that would have involved delays from blocked lanes and, if possible, the overriding of the tidal flow system to manoeuvre traffic around such incidents. Just weeks before the permanent speed limit was announced, a severe four-vehicle crash with a motorist trapped in her car closed the bridge in the evening peak for three hours, and again caused banked-up traffic for several kilometres and forced motorists to take the longer western route via the Bruce Highway.
Numerous reports and letters to the local Redcliffe and Bayside Herald
newspaper from people complaining about tailgating
and motorists speeding past, point to that the reduced speed limit is not being adhered. The tidal flow system's monitoring data has shown the average speed travelled on the bridge is actually 70 km/h (43.5 mph), 10 km/h (6.2 mph) in excess of the signed limit said to be the reason for fewer crashes.
Ray Hollis
won the seat of Redcliffe in 1989 with the election of the Goss
government and, except for a slim 0.5% lead in 1995, the seat of Redcliffe built-up with a safe
Labor majority of 13.7% in 2001.
Continuing disquiet about the bridge, and calls for it to be duplicated or replaced, were persistently rejected by the government – a media statement titled "Call for second bridge rejected" was issued by the Transport and Main Roads Minister on 11 July 2003. However, in only three months time the Queensland Premier, The Hon Peter Beattie
, issued a statement announcing a study into when a new Redcliffe bridge might be built. A reason for this change of stance included campaigning by the Redcliffe City Council and a study they commissioned into the duplication of the bridge, frustrated by the apparent lack of interest in the matter by the state government. In addition, just over two months later, a state election would be called, earlier than anticipated.
In this 7 February 2004 election, the rival Liberal
candidate, Terry Rogers
, campaigned heavily for a new bridge to Redcliffe, and Hollis, the Labor incumbent, suffered a 10.5% swing but held on to the now-marginal seat
. Suddenly a new bridge became a need for Redcliffe.
In the next year, Hollis became involved in two scandals and the opposition called for his resignation. When the state government announced the duplication of the Houghton Highway in April 2005, the opposition suspected that Hollis was going to resign and stepped-up their campaign. Hollis resigned for health reasons in July triggering a by-election
, and the promise of a new bridge was a solid commitment on both sides; the government announced it had already started the survey and public consultation phase. The Liberal candidate, once again Terry Rogers, won the 20 August by-election, while Labor won the seat back in 2006.
. It was officially completed on 11 July 2010 and open to southbound traffic on 15 July 2010.
After the opening of the Ted Smout Memorial bridge, the Houghton Highway was upgraded with a bitumen overlay and new variable speed limit signs. The long-running reduced 60 km/h (37.3 mph) speed restriction was lifted on 19 August 2011, returning to the original 80 km/h (49.7 mph). This marked the completion of its rejuvenation and, with the recent new bitumen surface, the ultimate, full construction of the bridge was finally completed 31 years since it first opened with the original rough, unfinished surface.
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
, shortening the road distance between the cities of Redcliffe and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The bridge, along with its duplicate, the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge
Ted Smout Memorial Bridge
The Ted Smout Memorial Bridge is a new bridge in Brisbane, Australia. It is located 30 metres to the east, and forming the duplication of, the Houghton Highway. It crosses Bramble Bay, linking the Redcliffe suburb of Clontarf with the Brisbane suburb of Brighton...
, are the longest bridges in the country.
Almost immediately after opening it faced a greater capacity task than originally intended, and in later years became a contentious issue politically with concerns about its ability to meet growing traffic demands, refusal to build another bridge, and the lowering of its speed limit.
History
With rising traffic levels on the two-lane Hornibrook BridgeHornibrook Bridge
Hornibrook Bridge was one of three bridges that crossed Bramble Bay, Queensland, Australia. The second is the Houghton Highway, which was built to accommodate rising traffic levels on the two-lane Hornibrook Bridge in the 1970s to increase capacity and cope with future demand...
in the 1970s, the Department of Main Roads
Department of Main Roads (Queensland)
The Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads plans, designs, builds and maintains the 34,000km of Queensland state-controlled roads, under the Minister for Local Government and Main Roads. Warren Pitt is the current Minister for Local Government and Main Roads.The department is...
investigated the construction of another structure to increase capacity and cope with future demand. Authorisation by the department was given to construct a new bridge in 1977, and the new Houghton Highway opened on 20 December 1979, by the then Premier of Queensland, The Hon
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Sir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state...
.
The Houghton Highway is named after The Hon James 'Jim' Houghton, Member for Redcliffe
Electoral district of Redcliffe
The district of Redcliffe is a Queensland Legislative Assembly electoral division in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.The division encompasses suburbs to the north and northeast of Brisbane, including Redcliffe, Woody Point, Scarborough, Clontarf and Margate, as well as parts of Kippa-Ring...
(1960–1979) and Speaker
Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly is a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, elected by the whole Parliament to preside over sittings of the Assembly and to maintain orderly proceedings. The Speaker is supported in his role by officers of the Parliamentary Service,...
(1974–1979). Houghton resigned from parliament
Parliament of Queensland
The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. According to the state's constitution, the Parliament consists of the Queen and the Legislative Assembly. It is the only unicameral state parliament in the country, the upper chamber, the Legislative Council, having been...
on 7 August, four months before the bridge opened.
Design
The all-concrete Houghton Highway consists of 99 spans atop of some 400 T-beams, supported close to sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
by headstocks connected to five octagonal piles
Deep foundation
A deep foundation is a type of foundation distinguished from shallow foundations by the depth they are embedded into the ground. There are many reasons a geotechnical engineer would recommend a deep foundation over a shallow foundation, but some of the common reasons are very large design loads, a...
each.
Rough ride
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| Roosting pelican Pelican A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae.... s are an icon of the bridge... |
...Except on the five light poles with deterrents. |
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| While the 2006 trial of the Daddi Long Legs-brand bird deterrents Bird control spike A bird control spike, also known as an anti-roosting spike or roost modification, is a device consisting of long, needle-like rods used for bird control. They can be attached to building ledges, street lighting, and commercial signage to prevent wild or feral birds from perching or roosting... was successful, considerable misinformation that pelicans would be injured has put off their rollout to the other 44 light poles. |
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A notable characteristic of the Houghton Highway, other than its significant length, is the particularly rough surface and therefore ride quality. In addition, each concrete span has a slight concave curve, so a distinct corrugated ride is felt when driving over the bridge. These unfinished surface characteristics are due to the absence of a bitumen overlay.
Worst road recognition
In February 2004, an RACQRoyal Automobile Club of Queensland
The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland Limited is a motoring club and mutual organisation, providing roadside assistance, insurance, travel, finance and other services to its Queensland members...
survey recognised the Houghton Highway as the number one "pain in the neck" with Queensland motorists. Some 1200 members responded to this survey, asking them to nominate problem roads and intersections in the state. Respondents identified problems with insufficient capacity, problems with tidal flow or an accident/breakdown on the bridge causing major congestion, an inappropriate speed limit (60 km/h (37.3 mph) trial, now permanent), and the lack of consideration given by authorities to another bridge crossing.
Original layout and intention
The original intention of the Houghton Highway was to eventually carry two lanes of southbound traffic, with the old Hornibrook Bridge rejuvenated for two lanes of northbound traffic, doubling original capacity. When the Houghton Highway opened, it simply temporarily replaced the old bridge with the same capacity of one lane in each direction while the refurbishment was conducted.The initial deck layout (from west to east) consisted of two 3700 mm (145.7 in) lane
Lane
A lane is a part of the roadway within a road marked out for use by a single line of vehicles in such a way as to control and guide drivers for the purpose of reducing traffic conflicts. Most public roads have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each direction, separated by Lane markings...
s, an 1800 mm (70.9 in) shoulder
Shoulder (road)
A hard shoulder, or simply shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or motorway. Generally it is kept clear of motor vehicle traffic...
or "breakdown lane", and a 1900 mm (74.8 in) footway
Sidewalk
A sidewalk, or pavement, footpath, footway, and sometimes platform, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb...
. With just a diminutive reinforced concrete kerb
Curb (road)
A curb, or kerb , is the edge where a raised pavement/sidewalk/footpath, road median, or road shoulder meets an unraised street or other roadway.-Function:...
to separate pedestrians from 80 km/h (49.7 mph) passing traffic, the use of the footway was minimal. While the bridge had a southbound breakdown lane, it did not prevent severe disruption to northbound traffic caused by breakdowns in that direction. This layout may appear to be a design oversight; however, it is important to remember that the two-way traffic flow was only meant to be temporary.
With the Hornibrook Bridge now closed for refurbishment, engineers were able to make a closer examination to determine more clearly the extent of work required. They found that deterioration of the bridge was worse than first expected, and the cost to bring the old bridge up to an acceptable standard, and its continued maintenance, would be far greater than original predictions. At the same time, the state government believed that Redcliffe's future growth would be in its western areas, and therefore the connections of Redcliffe to the Bruce Highway
Bruce Highway
The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is a part of the Australian National Highway and also part of Highway 1...
should receive more attention – the original land-based and much longer route to Brisbane before the Hornibrook Bridge opened in 1935.
Increasing capacity with just one bridge
A rejuvenated Hornibrook Bridge now not an option, in October 1982 the Department of Main Roads ordered an investigation into modifying the Houghton Highway, only ten months after it opened. Facing an awkward situation where the new bridge would not deliver any increased capacity but just keep the status quo, the modification of the bridge was to be urgently completed within twelve months.The investigation found that, with the removal of the unsafe and unpopular pedestrian footway, the bridge could accommodate three lanes, and a tidal flow arrangement would provide extra capacity of two lanes where and when it was needed most – southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon and evening (reverse on weekends). Because this new layout did not involve breakdown lanes, emergency telephones and overhead lighting were also fitted to the bridge at the same time. Interestingly, the Houghton Highway did not originally include overhead lighting, whereas the old bridge did.
Modifications to the bridge commenced in March 1982, and completed by 3 September the same year, at a total cost of $435,000. Materials used included six gantries
Gantry (road sign)
A gantry is a traffic sign assembly in which signs are mounted on an overhead support, or railway signals supported....
, eight switchable message signs, 54 traffic signals, two mast arms, 51 overhead lights, 12 emergency telephone
Emergency telephone
An emergency telephone is a phone specifically provided for making calls to emergency services and is most often found in a place of special danger or where it is likely that there will only be a need to make emergency calls....
s, 27.5 km (17.1 mi) of power cable and 2 km (1.2 mi) of communication cable.
Cracking and deterioration
A routine inspection of Houghton Highway in 1991 found an alkali-silica reaction in the prestressed concrete piles. This reaction caused internal cracking of the concrete, and crumbling and spallSpall
Spall are flakes of a material that are broken off a larger solid body and can be produced by a variety of mechanisms, including as a result of projectile impact, corrosion, weathering, cavitation, or excessive rolling pressure...
ing of the concrete leaving the reinforcing steel
Rebar
A rebar , also known as reinforcing steel, reinforcement steel, rerod, or a deformed bar, is a common steel bar, and is commonly used as a tensioning device in reinforced concrete and reinforced masonry structures holding the concrete in compression...
exposed to the marine environment.
Some 500 piles were encased in concrete below the water surface and up to 500 mm (19.7 in) above the high water level. Above this point, an externally bonded carbon fibre reinforced polymer was applied, wrapping the column to cover the damage and contain and conceal the existing cracks. It was also believed that such composites offered re-strengthening and a protection of the piles through encapsulated resin during the lamination.
The treatment work was completed in 2000, and the repairs and condition of the piles are continually monitored.
Upgrading and political controversy
Concerns about increasing traffic demands and questions about the capacity of the Houghton Highway started in the late 1990s. The issue was agitated every time a crash caused delays, with the closure of one or two lanes or the entire bridge while the scene is investigated then cleared-up. Similarly, vehicle breakdowns on the bridge blocked lanes, also causing congestion and delays.Tidal flow upgrade
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
displays, monitoring of traffic flows and conditions with supervision of the system data and view of the bridge by CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
at the remote Traffic Management Centre in Woolloongabba
Woolloongabba, Queensland
Woolloongabba is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 4 km south of the Brisbane CBD.Experts are divided regarding the Aboriginal meaning of the name, preferring either 'whirling waters' or 'fight talk place'...
, Brisbane. Operators were for the first time also able to close and open lanes as required from the remote location.
The upgrade project suffered delays from "technical issues", compelling the Transport and Main Roads Minister, The Hon Steve Bredhauer
Steve Bredhauer
Stephen Dominic "Steve" Bredhauer is a former Australian politician. Born in Brisbane, he was a teacher before entering politics. He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1980. In 1989, he was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly as the member for Cook...
, to thank Redcliffe residents for their patience. Just six months later, the minister apologised for extensive delays after the system failed when a council contractor cut both the main and back-up power supplies to the tidal flow system just before 10:00am. Evening peak hour traffic was severely disrupted and banked-up for several kilometres as the bridge fell into "safe mode" with just one lane open in each direction for over 10 hours until Energex
Energex
Energex is an Australian energy company owned by the Queensland Government. It is based in Brisbane and was founded in 1922 as the City Electric Light Co....
reconnected power at 8:00pm. Changes implemented after this incident included a better back-up power supply that was separate from the main supply, tighter controls on works near the bridge requiring approval by the Department of Main Roads first, and a variable message sign
Variable message sign
A variable- message sign, often abbreviated VMS, CMS, or DMS, and in the UK known as a matrix sign,...
on the Gateway Motorway
Gateway Motorway
The Gateway Motorway is a major motorway in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The Gateway Bridge is owned and operated by Queensland Motorways....
at Deagon
Deagon, Queensland
Deagon is an outer suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 16 km north of the CBD.Deagon was named after William Deagon who was Mayor of Sandgate in 1882, 1883 and 1884....
to warn motorists of delays and suggest taking the longer, western route to Redcliffe via the Bruce Highway.
Reduced speed limit
Another initiative to stop debate over a new bridge was the reduction of the speed limit from 80 km/h (49.7 mph) for most of its length since the highway was built, to entirely 60 km/h (37.3 mph). The reduced speed limit also included a 500 m (1,640.4 ft) approach to the southern end of the bridge along mostly 90 km/h (55.9 mph) four-lane Deagon Deviation dual carriagewayDual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
. This 500 m (1,640.4 ft) approach was previously 80 km/h along with the bridge, and became 60 km/h with it. The professed reason behind this reduced speed limit was to reduce crash incidents, therefore reducing delays and blockages.
This reduced speed limit was initially a trial for nine months from September 2003 until June 2004, then a further unexplained six months. The Redcliffe City Council
City of Redcliffe
City of Redcliffe is a defunct Local Government Area in South East Queensland, Australia. It is in the northern part of the County of Stanley. The council covers the suburbs of Clontarf, Kippa-Ring, Margate, Redcliffe, Rothwell, Scarborough and Woody Point – a total area of 38.1 km² with a...
moved in a General Purposes Committee meeting on 8 October 2003, that it can not support a 60 km/h speed limit trial, and requested to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads that the trial period be reduced to just three months. The minister replied committed to the nine-month trial.
In late November 2004, the state government declared the trial a success, using crash data that allegedly showed only three crashes in the nine-month trial period. The data did not include vehicle breakdowns on the bridge that would have involved delays from blocked lanes and, if possible, the overriding of the tidal flow system to manoeuvre traffic around such incidents. Just weeks before the permanent speed limit was announced, a severe four-vehicle crash with a motorist trapped in her car closed the bridge in the evening peak for three hours, and again caused banked-up traffic for several kilometres and forced motorists to take the longer western route via the Bruce Highway.
Numerous reports and letters to the local Redcliffe and Bayside Herald
Quest Community Newspapers
Quest Community Newspapers is a newspaper company in Stafford, Queensland, Australia. It is owned and operated by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation....
newspaper from people complaining about tailgating
Tailgating
Tailgating is the practice of driving on a road too close to the vehicle in front, at a distance which does not guarantee that stopping to avoid collision is possible...
and motorists speeding past, point to that the reduced speed limit is not being adhered. The tidal flow system's monitoring data has shown the average speed travelled on the bridge is actually 70 km/h (43.5 mph), 10 km/h (6.2 mph) in excess of the signed limit said to be the reason for fewer crashes.
Government rejections and about-face
Labor'sAustralian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Ray Hollis
Ray Hollis
Raymond Keith "Ray" Hollis is a former Australian politician. Born in London, England, he migrated to Australia in 1962 as a merchant seaman and worked in a variety of occupations, including a railway worker, cook, paper mill operator, insurance salesman and a position with the Victorian...
won the seat of Redcliffe in 1989 with the election of the Goss
Wayne Goss
Wayne Keith Goss was Premier of Queensland from 7 December 1989 until 19 February 1996.-Early life:He was born at Mundubbera, Queensland and educated at Inala High School and the University of Queensland...
government and, except for a slim 0.5% lead in 1995, the seat of Redcliffe built-up with a safe
Safe seat
A safe seat is a seat in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secured, either by a certain political party, the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both...
Labor majority of 13.7% in 2001.
Continuing disquiet about the bridge, and calls for it to be duplicated or replaced, were persistently rejected by the government – a media statement titled "Call for second bridge rejected" was issued by the Transport and Main Roads Minister on 11 July 2003. However, in only three months time the Queensland Premier, The Hon Peter Beattie
Peter Beattie
Peter Douglas Beattie , Australian politician, was the 36th Premier of the Australian state of Queensland for nine years and leader of the Australian Labor Party in that state for eleven and a half years...
, issued a statement announcing a study into when a new Redcliffe bridge might be built. A reason for this change of stance included campaigning by the Redcliffe City Council and a study they commissioned into the duplication of the bridge, frustrated by the apparent lack of interest in the matter by the state government. In addition, just over two months later, a state election would be called, earlier than anticipated.
In this 7 February 2004 election, the rival Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
candidate, Terry Rogers
Terry Rogers (Australian politician)
Terence Walter "Terry" Rogers is a former Australian politician. Born in Ipswich, he was a Chartered Accountant and bank officer before entering politics. A member of the Liberal Party, he was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 2005 in a by-election for the seat of Redcliffe, after...
, campaigned heavily for a new bridge to Redcliffe, and Hollis, the Labor incumbent, suffered a 10.5% swing but held on to the now-marginal seat
Marginal seat
A marginal seat, or swing seat, is a constituency held with a particularly small majority in a legislative election, generally conducted under a single-winner voting system. In Canada they may be known as target ridings. The opposite is a safe seat....
. Suddenly a new bridge became a need for Redcliffe.
In the next year, Hollis became involved in two scandals and the opposition called for his resignation. When the state government announced the duplication of the Houghton Highway in April 2005, the opposition suspected that Hollis was going to resign and stepped-up their campaign. Hollis resigned for health reasons in July triggering a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
, and the promise of a new bridge was a solid commitment on both sides; the government announced it had already started the survey and public consultation phase. The Liberal candidate, once again Terry Rogers, won the 20 August by-election, while Labor won the seat back in 2006.
Highway duplication
The duplication of the Houghton Highway consisted of a new bridge named the Ted Smout Memorial BridgeTed Smout Memorial Bridge
The Ted Smout Memorial Bridge is a new bridge in Brisbane, Australia. It is located 30 metres to the east, and forming the duplication of, the Houghton Highway. It crosses Bramble Bay, linking the Redcliffe suburb of Clontarf with the Brisbane suburb of Brighton...
. It was officially completed on 11 July 2010 and open to southbound traffic on 15 July 2010.
After the opening of the Ted Smout Memorial bridge, the Houghton Highway was upgraded with a bitumen overlay and new variable speed limit signs. The long-running reduced 60 km/h (37.3 mph) speed restriction was lifted on 19 August 2011, returning to the original 80 km/h (49.7 mph). This marked the completion of its rejuvenation and, with the recent new bitumen surface, the ultimate, full construction of the bridge was finally completed 31 years since it first opened with the original rough, unfinished surface.