31 March, 2022
Gatton - Clifton Road pummelled by rain
Landslides caused by the heavy rain at the end of February saw Gatton - Clifton Road closed for some time, and although open again for now, it will be monitored closely.
The worst of the damage was at Mount Whitestone, where the road was closed for the longest duration and there was also damage on the section that traverses Heifer Creek.
A Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) spokesperson said there is an active landslip at Mount Whitestone.
“After the rain, this movement increased and on-site monitoring instruments were damaged,” the spokesperson said.
“For motorist safety, we closed the road to through traffic while geotechnical experts re-established monitoring instruments and investigated the slip.
“Local traffic was permitted to continue using the road, except at the slip.”
The spokesperson said once the road was cleaned of mud and debris, TMR carried out emergency road maintenance and geotechnical assessments.
“These assessments established the movement had slowed sufficiently and the road re-opened to all traffic on 19 March,” they said.
“We are currently planning works to reinstate the normal speed limit.
“We will continue to monitor movement and assess the risk of landslips.”
The spokesperson said when necessary, TMR will temporarily reduce the speed limit and close the road to protect motorist safety.
“We appreciate the significant impact road closures have on the local community and ask for everyone’s patience and understanding.”
Eligible reconstruction works are jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
