The Albanese and Crisafulli Governments have unveiled 22 new Bruce Highway upgrades worth more than $500 million, accelerating the next wave of road safety works along one of Australia’s most critical freight routes.
The projects form part of the $9 billion Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program, a long-term effort to reduce run-off-the-road and head-on crashes along high-risk sections between Gympie and Cairns.
Stronger surfaces and wider separation for opposing traffic
Nineteen of the new projects will deliver 93 kilometres of pavement strengthening designed to improve skid resistance and vehicle stability, especially in wet weather.
Three additional projects will install 13 kilometres of wide-centreline treatment, paired with road widening and audio-tactile line marking.
These measures increase the separation between opposing traffic and can reduce head-on crashes by up to 60 per cent on high-volume rural roads.
Building on the first round of safety upgrades
The next round of works follows the early package of 16 priority projects announced in March. Six of those have already been completed, eight are under construction, and two will begin shortly.
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King says the safety program is already delivering benefits across the network.
“The Albanese Government has made the biggest ever investment in the Bruce Highway because we want it to be safer for all Queenslanders,” King says. “This next wave of work will reduce closures caused by crashes and improve reliability along the corridor.”
Queensland says benefits are now visible across the regions
Queensland Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg says the upgrades will strengthen the spine of the state’s transport network.
“We are delivering a major boost to safety with rubber hitting the road on another 22 projects,” Mickelberg says. “Queenslanders are starting to see the benefits as we accelerate these upgrades across the regions.”
A long list of high-risk sites to be addressed
The new works span every district from Wide Bay to Far North Queensland.
Locations include Curra to Davey Road, Howard Turnoff to Doghole Creek, Kolan River to Skeleton Creek, Sarina, Marian Hampden Road, Greta Creek to Emu Creek, Ayr to Townsville, Townsville to Ingham and multiple stretches between Innisfail and Cairns.
Three of the 22 projects will deliver wide centreline treatments at Central Road to Mary River, Kooltandra to Neerim Creek and Mackenzie Creek to Tindall Court.
The program is expected to continue for several years, with additional rounds of Bruce Highway upgrades to be announced as planning progresses under the $9 billion allocation.