When Bellbowrie was approved, the developers, Booker Limited, provided the money for a bridge. This bridge was to connect Sugarwood Road and Sumners Road at Riverhills. The subdivision opened for sale in 1973 and we had the 1974 floods within 12 months. Land prices plummeted and until Wivenhoe was built, the land was difficult to sell. The Brisbane City Council advised residents in the 1970's there was not enough demand to build the bridge.

While we would love to say the bridge should be built at the same location now, we will refrain. We strongly believe, however, that Brisbane City Council and the Department of Main Roads should start examining alternatives that would cause minimal disruption to the maximum number of people. There must be a location of a bridge that must be built within the next ten years to allow those of us in Bellbowrie and Moggill to exit out of our suburbs rather than having to come through Kenmore and on Moggill Road at all.

Even with our unskilled eye, we can see there are a number of possible locations between Birkin Road and Priors Pocket Road that may be suitable.

When those of us in Bellbowrie and Moggill have a bridge, we would have easy access to all the fantastic facilities of Wacol right through to Jindalee to Forrest Lake, that far exceed anything available in Kenmore. These include but are not limited to:
1. Rail stations at Wacol, Gailes, Goodna and Darra.
2. Alternative schools -- primary and secondary, public and private (too many to list).
3. A large shopping centre at Redbank and Mt Ommaney.
4. A golf course at Wolston Park and Gailes.
5. Closer access to the Centenary Highway or the Ipswich Motorway, and even the Logan Motorway
6. An alternative to using the Moggill Ferry.
7. Ambulance, fire station, police station.
8. Gyms and other sporting facilities.

Penny Behan writes: You cannot study the benefits or otherwise of progressing the Kenmore Bypass corridor unless you look at what could be done with Moggill Road first.

Over many years my father and I have joined any committee or attended any meeting regarding transport and traffic in Kenmore or through Kenmore that we could. In 2000 I attended a community meeting with representatives from the Department of Main Roads. Eddie Peters and two others attended. They agreed to facilitate community consultation with any of the 150 people who attended the public meeting. I volunteered and became the secretary of the group.
Alan Sims was the DMR facilitator for our meetings. We met on several occasions and offered a number of suggestions for the traffic congestion that exists from basically OLR (Kilkivan Ave) to Kenmore Tavern Plaza (Marshall Lane).

Our brief was to look at that area in particular and make recommendations or suggestions to relieve congestions. My feedback was that generally at all meetings we were focused and gave good suggestions.

There were a number of practical suggestions made, many of which have not been implemented. We propose that instead of bypassing the area, we should be dealing with the problems that have not been resolved over many years.

One issue that has been repeatedly raised at every DMR and BCC forum I have attended is the main entrance to Kenmore Village being on the roundabout -- the main intersection of Brookfield and Moggill Roads. This has continued despite everyone complaining about how it congests traffic and is dangerous, since it was built. Build a longer slip lane in Phillipa Street and re-configure this area in front of the Kenmore Fire Station. Recently the Mobile Service Station has closed and has been boarded up for some time. The time is right to tackle this ongoing problem and remove the entrance from the roundabout. I have recently raised this with DMR representatives who advised the roundabout is not slowed by Shopping Centre entry during peak hours due to the nature of the businesses. They may not be aware that the BCC gave planning approval and a child care centre opened in the centre in January 2008. Drop offs to child care centres are typically during peak times in the morning.

OLR has rapidly expanded its school and prep programs over the last few years. Parents drive into Kenmore Road from Moggill Road (west) to drop off children into the carpark on Kenmore Road or park on Kenmore Road to drop off children. We suggest that the strip of parkland on Kilkivan Ave be used to make a carpark for drop offs. A pedestrian overpass could then be installed that would go over Moggill Road. Currently Kenmore High School Students and OLR students use the lights that stop the traffic or drive into Kenmore Road. This congestion could be totally avoided.

More ideas for alternatives to the Kenmore Bypass and Moggill Pocket Sub Arterial, which cost far less money, take less time, solve the problem faster, and devastate far less green space, can be seen in the following places:

• Presentation to the Minister for Main Roads