Heavy vehicle operators will enjoy better traction in the wet after the Queensland Government resurfaces the Toowoomba Range up-lanes, according
Heavy vehicle operators will enjoy better traction in the wet after the Queensland Government resurfaces the Toowoomba Range up-lanes, according to Main Roads Minister Warren Pitt.
The $2.8 million project, which follows on from the resurfacing of the down-lanes last year, will begin Tuesday, with the Government expecting to complete it by the end of April.
The Government is resurfacing the up-lanes in response to safety improvement recommendations made by trucking industry representatives, local government and emergency services.
Pitt says the project to replace and strengthen the road surface will significantly improve the safety of heavy vehicle operators, who make up 15 percent of the 20,000 vehicles which pass through the Toowoomba Range daily.
“The new surface has better traction for heavy vehicles, especially during wet weather,” he says.
Member for Toowoomba North Kerry Shine says the works on the up-lanes will involve digging out sections of the road where the surface is badly damaged, replacing the old pavement and then resurfacing the lanes with asphalt from top to bottom.
“This is a complex operation due to the steep inclines on the Toowoomba Range and the high volumes of traffic travelling up and down the range every day,” he says.
The works on the up-lanes will be restricted to 6.30pm and 7.00am because the traffic volumes are lower during these times.
“Only one lane will be closed at a time, and there will be traffic controllers on site to keep traffic flowing through the works and delays to a minimum,” Shine says.
“This will minimise traffic delays and reduce impacts for heavy vehicles which may find it difficult to merge into a busy traffic lane during the day.”