Qld declares major highways will be open over Easter, but some links are still closed due to flood damage
March 31, 2010
Trucking operators travelling major highway in Queensland over Easter have been assured of access, which was restricted due to flooding.
Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace says major highways such as the Warrego, Mitchell, Carnarvon and Landsborough are now open.
The Carnarvon and Mitchell highways are open for travel between NSW and Queensland.
He says drivers will be able to get to almost all destinations, although heavy vehicles are still denied access to the Castlereagh Highway between Dirranbandi and Hebel.
Wallace says the route was severely damaged by heavy rain and flooding and will not reopen to vehicles over five tonnes until April 6.
Truck drivers also face restrictions on some links over the Easter period, such as the Cooper Developmental Road and the Bulloo Developmental Road.
“The majority of our major links are now open to all south-west towns although a few links still have a five-tonne load limit in place to protect road users and to prevent long-term damage to the network,” Wallace says.
“If we open our roads too soon, we risk further damage to the network, which will mean longer delays.”
Queensland was recently hit hard by rainfall and extensive flooding, especially in the south-west part of state in areas such as Roma.