CAPALABA MP Don Brown has renewed calls for Brisbane City Council to upgrade Rickertt Road after flood waters caused long delays for motorists travelling to and from the city this week.
Council closed the road for a few hours on Wednesday and Thursday when flooding from heavy rain became dangerous for drivers.
Mr Brown said it was unacceptable that commuters had to put up with long delays caused by drainage issues on one of the main roads connecting Redlands to Brisbane.
"We know that the Brisbane City Council plan to upgrade the Chelsea Road intersection along Rickertt Road, all I am saying is that they upgrade and (put) four lanes on the last part of Rickertt Road at the same time," he said.
"This is the last two lane section from Birkdale to the city. It just makes sense to do it once and do it right."
A Brisbane City Council spokesman said work to widen Rickertt Road at the Green Camp Road intersection was completed in April last year to protect against flooding.
He said upgrading the road to four lanes between Green Camp Road and the Redlands boundary had also been identified in council's Local Government Infrastructure Plan.
The upgrade would take place between 2021 and 2026 but was subject to a funding assessment, where it would be compared to other council projects to determine which should be prioritised.
"Council is committed to managing and reducing the risks of flooding, investing nearly $20 million this financial year towards city-wide drainage improvement works and flood resilience initiatives," a council spokesman said.
Mr Brown said he was worried that the planned upgrade to the Chelsea Road intersection, which was secured with a $6 million federal government grant, would be ripped up when four lanes were installed on Rickertt Road.
He said he was happy to work with Brisbane City Council to secure funding that would prioritise upgrades to Rickertt Road.
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