Work starts this weekend on upgrading the risky intersection at City Road and Power Street in Southbank.
Although not an official bike route riders use City Road and Power Street towards Whiteman Street because they have destinations nearby.
Most at risk has been pedestrians squeezed on to narrow footpaths near the intersections while massive trucks carelessly turn, running wheels over the kerb, and people.
Major construction at the intersection will start on Sunday 15 January 2023 and crews will be on site between Sunday and Thursday, from 10pm to 6am until completion.
When major works at the intersection begin there will be impacts to traffic in the local area and riders will need to be alert through the neighbouring precincts.
The upgrade will include:
- widening the footpath on City Road
- moving the pedestrian crossing away from the corner removing a traffic island on Power Street shifting all lanes on City Road at the intersection.
The project will remove a raised centre island on Power Street, immediately south of the intersection, and relocate the pedestrian crossing away from the southeast corner of the intersection.
This will give pedestrians more room to wait to cross, and large trucks more room to navigate the left turn from City Road onto Power Street.
All lanes on City Road will be shifted north, allowing for footpath widening to give pedestrians more space.
The stop line for all traffic travelling from the east will move away from the intersection to increase separation between pedestrians and vehicles.
The root of the problem is that certain heavy vehicles—those that carry dangerous or flammable cargo, livestock or are too tall cannot pass through the Citylink Tunnels, and must use City Road instead.
The solution apparently is to route them through Southbank, soon to be one of the densest suburbs in Australia.