Chancellors Place opens again to traffic

Chancellors Place roundabout at The University of Queensland is open again to traffic three weeks ahead of schedule, thanks to swift road works over the holiday period.

UQ Property and Facilities Maintenance Manager for Contracts Glenn Vickery said the team was pleased that the roundabout, one of the University’s key traffic thoroughfares, was re-opened almost as quickly as it was closed.

“In February the place starts to get busy with traffic for Orientation Week (February 24 to 28), and we wanted to steer clear well of that,” Mr Vickery said.

“Because the weather was so kind to us and the contractor was so quick, we were able to complete the works in less time than originally planned.”

The road opened on December 23, something of an “early Christmas present” for the team who were expecting a mid-January completion date.

They even managed to beat the Summer Semester exam period from January 1 to 8.

“There are still a few minor things to be done down there and we’re waiting for the concrete to mature before we apply the thermo plastic line marking to the road,” Mr Vickery said

“That will be done in the early hours of the morning, so it will not cause any disruption to vehicles using Chancellors Place.”

Chancellors Place was starting to show signs of deterioration from heavy traffic use. By acting early, the Property and Facilities team was able to avoid works to the sub-base of the road, which can often be more costly and time-consuming than re-surfacing.

The team replaced the asphalt surface on the northern roundabout of Chancellors Place from Services Road with concrete, which is less susceptible to heat on a hot day. Concrete can also withstand the pressure of turning vehicles using the roundabout better than asphalt.

“A bus turns at this roundabout every three minutes during peak time, not to mention cars, taxis, delivery vans and cyclists,” Mr Vickery said.

“It’s a key junction at UQ, and we need to ensure it is well maintained for the future, while avoiding disruption to staff, students and visitors.”

Media: UQ Communications, communications@uq.edu.au or 07 3346 0561.