Paper Petition

The petition of electors of the Division of Gregory draws to the attention of the House that people driving between
Charleville and Quilpie on the Diamantina Development Road (93A) toward the Ward River bridge, from both directions,
cannot clearly see vehicles approaching the bridge from the opposite direction because the road curves as it approaches
the bridge:

• on 3 March 2004 there was a head on collision between two cars. Two people died and five passengers were
seriously injured. Others have also been killed here.
• because the Ward River bridge is single laned, drivers have to move to the centre of the road to enter it and leave it. This
increases the risk of being hit by oncoming traffic.
• any vehicle, especially triple road trains travelling at l00 km/hr, cannot stop in time to give way before the bridge
• there have been many near misses here. Some drivers had to reverse off the bridge to prevent a head on collision.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to

• widen this section of road to two full carriage ways suitable for road trains, including flat road batters (1/6), to prevent
tipping over, and put double white centre lines
• improve the sight distance and manoeuvring distance on both approaches, so that drivers can clearly see oncoming
traffic, have time to respond and space to manoeuvre as needed
• widen and raise the Ward River bridge
• apply speed restrictions
• put rubble strips on approaches
• rectify this problem immediately, before more people are killed
or injured.