The Cunningham Highway and Ipswich–Rosewood Road intersection (CHIRRI) is a key connection for freight and the local community. It also provides access to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Amberley, Australia’s largest operational air base. This intersection upgrade project focused on long-term planning to improve safety for all users along this critical transport corridor.
Intersection upgrade planning and project scope
Georgia O’Connor was the Project Manager embedded within the TMR Metropolitan Project Planning & Corridor Management (PPCM) team. She led the delivery of an OnQ options analysis to support the intersection upgrade at Cunningham Highway and Ipswich–Rosewood Road (CHIRRI).
Results from previous studies, supported by local observations, showed that this intersection is a constraint on the wider transport network. Severe congestion occurs during peak periods, and there is a high crash rate at and near the intersection.
The CHIRRI project aimed to develop short-term road safety options as part of the broader intersection upgrade strategy. This included addressing existing issues and future transport needs, proposing safety improvements to the Cunningham Highway, and developing options for an active transport link between residential areas and key employment sites, including the Yamanto Interchange, RAAF Base Amberley and the Willowbank precinct.
Intersection upgrade deliverables
Deliverables for this project included:
- Options Analysis report (4 in 1) and intersection upgrade designs
- Multi-Criteria Analysis workshop outputs
- Risk and Safety in Design workshop outputs.
Managing complex history and community expectations
A key challenge was the long history of planning along the Cunningham Highway, including this intersection. Previous reports included link planning, corridor management reviews and long-term upgrades, such as constructing new sections of the Cunningham Highway.
Over time, the local community has been actively consulted, reflecting strong interest in the area’s development. However, with no upgrades delivered, frustration within the Willowbank community has grown.
Refocusing the upgrade on safety outcomes
To address this, the project was rescoped to focus on short-term road safety outcomes within the upgrade. This approach targeted immediate crash concerns while ensuring solutions stayed within the available funding envelope. It also allowed improvements to be delivered sooner to the local community.
By focusing on road safety rather than capacity, the team developed targeted and practical solutions. These did not require additional governance approvals and could be delivered more efficiently.
Options investigated included signalisation of CHIRRI and the adjacent Southern Amberley Road intersection, additional turn lanes, seagull treatments and roundabouts. These options underwent SWOT and multi-criteria analysis, with a preferred intersection upgrade option selected for further development in the Business Case.
Outcomes and key learnings
The selected option will deliver a safer layout for road users and active transport users, helping to reduce crash rates at this critical location.
This project reinforced the importance of maintaining clear project objectives. Intersection upgrade projects can expand beyond their original intent, which can impact funding and delivery timeframes.
Maintaining a strong road safety focus throughout the CHIRRI intersection upgrade was critical to ensuring the project remained achievable, fundable and aligned with its primary objectives.
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