GPT Metroplex Opens $20m Boundary Road Connection In Wacol.

The new road and bridge across Bullockhead Creek have transformed Wacol’s Boundary Road into a continuous thoroughfare, effectively opening a new route to the Ipswich and Centenary motorways.

The road upgrades were funded by GPT Metroplex Joint Venture and supported by the Brisbane City Council through infrastructure rebates and include an upgraded overpass directly connecting Progress Road to the Ipswich Motorway.

Managing Director of GPT Metroplex Peter Macgregor said the works delivered critical infrastructure and connectivity drivers that would underpin the creation of an entirely new business district for western Brisbane.

“Construction of Boundary Road and Bullockhead Creek Bridge provide the missing link and connectivity to the Ipswich Motorway – the key elements that underwrite the success of Metroplex Westgate,” Mr Macgregor said.

Mr Macgregor and GPT Group’s Head of Capital Transactions Jonathon Johnstone today were the first to cross the new Bullockhead Creek Bridge on bicycles, with Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk at the helm of a fleet of Volvo trucks.

Volvo recently announced it will open its new Australian headquarters and dealership at Metroplex Westgate in  2017.

Volvo will be joined by building products manufacturer Ardex Australia, returnable packaging solutions provider Loscam and fuel retailer Puma Energy as the first group of international brands based at Metroplex Westgate.

GPT’s  Jonathan Johnstone said the completion of the Boundary Road connection and Bullockhead Creek bridge was a significant milestone for Metroplex Westgate and the broader Wacol community.

“We wanted to cement Wacol as South East Queensland’s industrial capital and activate Metroplex Westgate as Brisbane’s new Western Business District and a key centre for manufacturing and logistics,” he said.

“To achieve this it was crucial to upgrade the road network to provide businesses with fast access to motorways, South East Queensland’s CBDs, airports, rail lines and ports.

“This new infrastructure will also pave the way for Wacol to grow in line with the 10,000 new jobs expected to be created as businesses take up space at Metroplex Westgate over the coming years.

“The new connection road and bridge has been built to accommodate up to 18,000 vehicles per day, which will significantly improve local traffic flow and provide excellent exposure for retail and service providers expected to join future stages of Metroplex Westgate.”

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the $20 million road access would be a vital link for the Wacol site, which would be a future economic driver for the region and attract new technological and industrial investment to the city.

“This road link will also complement Council’s upcoming $37.6 million upgrade to Progress Road from Boundary Road to the Centenary Motorway, which will widen the corridor to five lanes, increasing traffic capacity and improving safety,” Cr Quirk said.

Metroplex Westgate is being marketed by Cushman & Wakefield and Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

The development will ultimately comprise 300,000sqm of industrial, commercial and retail floorspace, along with 17 hectares of green space and nature corridors.

The first stage – Metroplex South – is now selling with a limited number of smaller lots remaining ranging from approximately 3,000sqm to 1.7 hectares.