Four upgrades to Bruce Highway are about to begin, as part of an ongoing program to improve road safety along the Central Queensland highway.
Works will include widening and reconstruction of the road surface along stretches of the highway, as well as a number of intersection upgrades.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Darren Chester, said, “Road trauma has increased nationally over the last 12 months, and the Australian Government is redoubling its efforts to save lives by investing $6.7 billion in upgrades along the Bruce Highway between 2013-14 and 2022-23.”
The package of four projects will total $46.7 million and 128 jobs will be created during construction.
Projects included in safety upgrades include:
- $5.2 million for safety works and an intersection upgrade at Atkinson Road, Raspberry Creek Road and Kooltrandra Road, north of Rockhampton
- $32 million will be spent upgrading the highway between Bajool and Midgee (Rockhampton)
- $2.8 million for safety and intersection upgrade at South Ulam Road (Bajool)
- $6.7 million for widening, reconstruction and intersection upgrades from Miriam Vale to Bororen
Queensland Main Roads and Road Safety Minister, Mark Bailey, said, “One of the simple but effective ways of making the Bruce Highway safer is by widening the gap between centre lines in places.
“Wide centre lines were introduced in Queensland in 2010, and data indicates a 43 per cent reduction in fatal and hospitalisation crashes where vehicles have crossed the centre line.
“That’s why we are adding to the upgraded 711km of wide centre lines on the Bruce Highway so far.”
Federal Member for Flynn, Ken O’Dowd, said, “The Bruce Highway is the economic backbone of many Queensland communities and our freight and tourism industries rely on it for their prosperity.
“These upgrades will cater for the highway’s continuing traffic growth and boost safety for all motorists in the region.
“These much-needed safety upgrades will include pavement widening, rebuilding rough, potholed or corrugated sections of highway and upgrading intersections to separate turning vehicles from highway traffic.”
Queensland Member for Gladstone, Glenn Butcher, said, “More than 5,000 motorists travel on the highway between Rockhampton and Gladstone every day and the Queensland Government has worked closely with the federal government to ensure a larger scope of work is covered in this safety package.”
Queensland Member for Mirani Jim Pearce said, “The Bruce Highway is Queensland’s major north-south freight and tourism route, providing economic lifeblood to communities.
“The works will include shoulder widening and a wide centre line treatment, to add to 200km of wide centre line safety works recently completed on the Bruce Highway in Central Queensland.”
