Airport access improved after completion of Meenan Street upgrade
Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson has joined the Townsville Airport team to celebrate the completion of a major road upgrade to enhance safety, access and appearance for residents and visitors driving to and from the terminal.
The project created a new entry and exit point to the Townsville Airport precinct by extending Meenan Street to meet John Melton Black Drive and closing off Halifax Street.
Mr Thompson said the works, which were made possible with $1.1 million in Federal funding, would provide a much more appropriate entry for the major gateway for business travellers and tourists.
“The use of Halifax Street filtered hundreds of cars straight into a suburban street,” Mr Thompson said.
“This new road will reduce the inconvenience to local residents and significantly reduce non-airport traffic near the terminal, while also providing a better first impression for visitors to our region.
“The project has also supported much-needed jobs through a local contractor during a time when we desperately need them.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the airport as they progress their major terminal redevelopment with the support of a $50 million loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF).”
Townsville Airport Chief Operating Officer Kevin Gill said the new direct entryway significantly improved access to the precinct.
“The support of the Australian Government, through the Building Better Regions Fund grant, was critical in delivering this important infrastructure project,” Mr Gill said.
“This is a significant milestone in the development of the Townsville Airport precinct.
“The end result is a credit to the team who worked on it, including our team members and our local contractor Shamrock Civil.”
The Meenan Street Extension was jointly funded by the Australian Government ($1.1m through the Building Better Regions Fund) and Queensland Airports Limited ($1.7m).
ENDS