A state government campaign to upgrade the Bruce Highway is underway following the announcement of Crisis Management group members in Townsville today
April 19, 2012
A state government campaign to upgrade the Bruce Highway is underway following the announcement of Crisis Management group members in Townsville today.
Premier Campbell Newman says the group, which is made of state and federal representatives, motoring groups and local authorities, will push for federal funding for the highway.
“The Crisis Management Group will be charged with taking our priority list of shovel ready, engineered projects to Canberra to fight for the funds we need to fix Queensland’s major transport artery within ten years,” Newman says.
Newman says safety and flood immunity will be prioritized in
a 10-year Crisis Action Plan.
“Much needed work on the Bruce Highway includes not only flood immunity works, but increased overtaking lanes, more rest areas, better road safety and duplication projects.”
Newman says a Transport and Main Roads technical advisory group will back the crisis team, and review technical data for key projects issues.
He says
the crisis action plan will be completed within the first six months of the LNP Government.
The RACQ recently found
that about
60 per cent of deaths on Queensland’s national highways occurred on the Bruce Highway.
The peak motoring body estimates that without urgent action 350 people will die on the
highway in the next 10 years and more than 5,000 will be injured.
The government’s Bruce Highway Crisis Management Group members include:
– RACQ Chairman Geoff Leddy
– Queensland Trucking Association Vice-President and Hawkins Road Transport CEO Roz Shaw
– Queensland Police State Traffic Chief Superintendent Bob Gee
– National Party Leader Warren Truss
– Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch
– Herbert MP Ewen Jones
– Infrastructure Minister Jeff Seeney
– Transport Minister Scott Emerson
– Local Government Minister David Crisafulli
Newman says three local government representatives will be added to the group after the council elections on April 28.