Parts of Coronation Drive will be closed to bike paths as Drift restaurant remains stuck on the bike path

The flood-ravaged Drift restaurant will finally be removed from the bike path along the Brisbane River, but a lane of Coronation Drive will close to motorists while the significant engineering task takes place.

Brisbane City Council’s decision to turn the Coronation Drive lane into a two-way bikeway comes after the Queensland government last week enacted legislation authorizing them to remove the floating restaurant.

During the traffic changes, one of the westbound lanes of Coronation Drive between Lang Parade and Graham Street will be closed to give cyclists a safe route to travel on.

In addition, the right-turn lane from Coronation Drive into the Lang Parade will be removed and converted into a continuous lane to maintain two lanes for vehicles.

Brisbane City Council said the road speed limit in that section would be lowered to 40 kilometers per hour and water-filled safety barriers would separate vehicles and bicycle traffic.

Council President of Public Transport Ryan Murphy said the makeshift bike path on Coronation Drive was expected to open Monday morning.

He said the council had made the decision to close part of the road after the state government announced it would be six weeks before the removal work began.

a picture of the restaurant on a bike path surrounded by rubbish
Operation was partially pushed onto the Bicentennial Bikeway during the 2022 floods.(ABC Radio Brisbane: Antonia O’Flaherty)

“Since Drift Restaurant has been stranded on the Bicentennial Bikeway after the flood, we have advised cyclists to get off on a narrow section of the walkway along Coronation Drive,” said Mr. Murphy.

“But even if this would have been an appropriate solution for a short period of time, it is not sustainable in the six weeks it is going to take for the state government to start work.

“We understand that moving that restaurant is a significant engineering task, but Bicentennial Bikeway is the city’s bike artery. It moves about 3,000 cyclists every day, over a million cyclists every year, so it’s really important that we reopen that access.”

Murphy said the council recognized that Coronation Drive was one of the busiest roads and that the change would bother westbound drivers.

“Unfortunately, this situation is going to take longer than first assumed, and safety must be our priority,” he said.

The government moves to Drift restaurant

Deputy Prime Minister Steven Miles today instructed the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) to use its powers under the law to stabilize the restaurant.

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