A planned overhaul of the Hamilton Road and Spence Road intersection carries an estimated $15.4 million price tag, but Wavell Heights residents are still waiting to learn when construction will begin.
Brisbane City Council documents put the total project cost at $15.39 million and record a Council budgeted amount of $14 million.
Council has also sought about $14 million from the Queensland Government’s Residential Activation Fund towards the project.
Despite those figures, the current project page continues to list the timeframe as “pending funding”, with no construction start date announced.
The upgrade would install traffic signals at Hamilton Road and Spence Road, add signalised pedestrian crossings and increase road capacity. It would also permanently change access between Frankit Street and Hamilton Road.
For locals who regularly negotiate the intersection, the plans represent a substantial change to a junction Council says is affected by heavy traffic, long waits and limited visibility.
Four Crashes Put Safety in Focus
The case for the upgrade is not based on congestion alone.
Council records cited in the project information show four crashes at the intersection between 2019 and 2024. Two resulted in people being hospitalised and another two required medical treatment.
Drivers entering Hamilton Road from Spence Road currently have to find a safe gap in traffic. The proposed signals would control movements through the intersection.
Pedestrians would also gain two signalised crossings, one across Hamilton Road and another across Spence Road.
More Than a Set of Traffic Lights
The plans reveal a broader redesign of the intersection.
The right-turn lane from Hamilton Road into Spence Road would be extended, while widening around the intersection would formalise two westbound lanes on Hamilton Road approaching and passing through the junction.
Footpaths and kerb ramps would be upgraded, while the project also includes new pavement, signage, line marking, landscaping and stormwater works.
The project map released in March shows the scale of the proposed changes, with new road surfaces and pedestrian infrastructure extending beyond the immediate signalised junction.
Public transport users will notice changes too. Westbound bus stop 43 on Hamilton Road is expected to move about 30 metres west, while northbound stop 42 on Spence Road would shift about 30 metres south.
Frankit Street Drivers Face a Permanent Change
For some residents, the biggest day-to-day impact may be one street away from the main intersection.
Frankit Street’s access to Hamilton Road will become permanently left-in, left-out only.
That means motorists will no longer have the full range of turning movements currently available at the intersection and some journeys will require a different route.
Council says the change is intended to improve safety. A new pedestrian refuge is also planned at Frankit Street.
The project map shows the redesigned Frankit Street entrance immediately west of the Hamilton Road–Spence Road intersection.
$15.4m Plan Still Has No Construction Date
Council documents put the total project cost at $15.39 million.
A March funding document also records a $14 million Council budgeted amount for the project, while showing Council seeking about $14.01 million from the Queensland Government’s Residential Activation Fund.
The current Council project page nevertheless continues to list the timeframe as “pending funding”.
When Council released the intersection design in March, it said it was working to finalise the construction program and would provide more information later in 2026.
That start date has yet to emerge.
For Wavell Heights residents, the shape of the upgrade is now well established. The outstanding question is when the funding and construction program will allow it to move from the plans to the road.
Published 19-Aug-2026
