HDR was awarded the design engineering contract for the new Woolloongabba Bikeway; a separated bikeway within the Stanley Street and Annerley Road corridors in Woolloongabba and South Brisbane. The project is inclusive of a corridor between Ipswich Road in the east and Dock Street in the west, as well as a separate section along Annerley Road and Gladstone Road through to Stanley Street.

Stanley Street and Annerley Road are important cycling routes, providing access from the Brisbane CBD to southern and eastern suburbs. Both roads are part of a complex constrained inner urban street environment within Woolloongabba and are also highly congested transport corridors with major traffic-dominated intersections. HDR is responsible for completing the preliminary and detailed designs, as well as a concept design review for the new bikeway.

The project’s complexity increases with a major interchange with the Pacific Motorway, access to and from the South-East Busway, large numbers of buses on the street network, and major adjacent traffic generators such as the Mater Hospital and Lady Cilento Hospital. Conflicts between major traffic arteries, major adjacent attractors and major commuting cycling desire lines also meant that HDR needed to ensure the design provided adequate segregation between modes.

Key features of the project include:

• A separated bi-directional bikeway along Stanley Street, between Ipswich Road and Dock Street
• A 145-metre section of separated bi-directional bikeway on the western side of Annerley Road between Stanley Street and the Princess Plaza crossing
• An upgraded signalised crossing on Annerley Road at Princess Plaza
• A new signalised intersection at Annerley Road, Clarence Street and Catherine Street
• On-road bike lanes on both sides of Annerley Road, from the signalised crossing between Princess Plaza and Gladstone Road, Dutton Park
• Separation barriers, reflectors and audible ripple strip treatments along sections of Annerley Road
• Improving safety for all road users along Annerley Road by removing some right-turn movements for vehicles
• Replacing the left-turn slip lane on Stanley Street to the Pacific Motorway M3 on-ramp with a signalised left-turn lane
• Installing three floating bus stops throughout the project corridors to reduce conflicts between cyclists and buses
• Providing left-in only access to Merton Road from Stanley Street to improve safety for all road users.

This project delivered a critical active transport link within one of Brisbane’s busiest urban corridors, improving safety, connectivity, and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians. By overcoming significant design challenges in a highly constrained environment, the bikeway enhances sustainable travel options and supports Council’s vision for a more connected, livable city.