Residents fight Bruce Highway upgrade
IT'S the $2 billion upgrade touted as the congestion killer for commuters along Cairns' southern entrance road - the only speed bump is about 380 family homes.
Residents facing land resumptions under the Bruce Highway development yesterday met in protest at the plans, among them painters, builders, home-based business owners and neighbours of more than 50 years.
Homes have to go to make way for the 100km/h Bruce Highway motorway to carry an extra 50,000 motorists daily.
Pictures: Plans for Bruce Highway upgrade
Neighbours Ellen Adams, 85, and Nita Basso, 87, were among the 60 Edmonton residents who gathered in Queen St for the rally.
Mrs Adams "held the ladder while my husband (Clarrie) put up the wall sheeting" of her Edmonton home more than 50 years ago, Mrs Basso said. She does not want a government pay out, she wants her home.
View the full details of the 3 options for the Bruce Highway upgrade.
Mrs Adams said she and her husband saved for five years to buy the land and build her house.
"I don’t want to go because I feel safe there, it’s my home, I know where everything is," she said.
Mrs Adams and Mrs Basso have lived in Edmonton for more than 50 years.
After their husbands died they made a promise to support each other as neighbours as long as they could.
Tell us what you think. Is your house one that could be affected by the new highway plans? Share your story.
The 30-year plan from the State and Federal governments to upgrade a 14km stretch of road at the southern entrance to Cairns is expected to cost $2 billion.
Under the three options now out for public consultation, overpasses and interchanges will replace traffic lights along the Bruce Highway to ease congestion between Wrights Creek and Draper St.
The first stage to be upgraded will be sections between Sheehy Rd and Ray Jones Drive at a cost of $150 million and could start by the end of 2010.
Far North regional director for the Department of Transport and Main Roads Ron Michel could not be contacted yesterday and his office would not say how many homes would be affected.
Rally organiser Kaye Kingham launched a petition at the meeting which she will give to federal and state politicians on December 18.
Ms Kingham said 380 family homes would be destroyed under the options and believed undeveloped land behind Wrights Creek east of the highway would be a suitable area for the upgrade.
Share this article
Standing firm: Nita Basso and Ellen Adams say they don’t want to move to make way for the highway upgrade.
New Jetstar flights between Cairns and Osaka
THE re-introduction of Jetstar's four weekly direct services to Osaka in Japan and a doubling of flights to Melbourne from April 1 next year are the first significant announcements today by the airline as the result of a new agreement with Cairns Airport.
Kate earns National Pride Medal
INSPIRING young leader and cancer survivor Kate Smith could hardly believe she won a national Pride of Australia medal last night.
Escapee back in custody
BREAKING NEWS: Police have found a man who escaped from police custody at Ravenshoe on Sunday night.
Woman watched boyfriend bash, strip tourist
THE girlfriend of a man accused of raping and attempting to rape two foreign tourists at a Cairns caravan park says she watched him bash and strip one of them then chase after her.
