Freight productivity at forefront of $6 million Kilcoy Creek bridge project
A bridge that forms part of the D’Aguilar Highway over Kilcoy Creek will be replaced this year with a new 15-metre-long, two-lane concrete bridge.
As part of the federal government’s Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program, the federal and Queensland governments are jointly funding the $5.88 million project, which is past the design stage and will be taking tenders for construction “in the coming months”.
The route is acknowledged as a key part of the state’s freight network, hence the urgency to upgrade the 85-year-old timber structure, with construction to start mid-year, according to Queensland transport and main roads minister Mark Bailey.
“The current bridge is becoming costly to maintain and load limits to protect it would significantly impact freight transport and the businesses that rely on road transport,” Bailey says.
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The new structure, between Caboolture and Kilcoy, will be sturdier and almost twice as wide as the existing bridge.
This upgrade will also improve the nearby carpark at Anzac Park at the entrance to Kilcoy, with a new turn-around facility and formalised parking bay.
“Once completed, the bridge will take a high volume of heavy freight traffic along the D’Aguilar Highway, providing the freight industry with the sturdiest, safest crossing available,” Queensland senator Amanda Stoker says.
Federal transport minister Michael McCormack adds: “The new bridge will improve road safety, road freight productivity and community connections for local motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.”