First section of new Black River highway updates open
The first section of a controversial Bruce Highway upgrade has opened to traffic south of Black River. Find out what has changed.
Townsville
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The first section of a controversial Bruce Highway upgrade has opened to traffic south of Black River.
The $107.65m upgrade garnered significant backlash from the Black River community, who said the plans for the Townsville Northern Access Intersections Upgrade were dangerous.
Black River and Eden Park residents raised concerns with the government over consultation for the project in October 2020, with more issues raised with the designs in 2021.
Residents said the changes would push more traffic into new housing developments and rural roads.
However the state government said the upgrades had been designed to a “national standard”.
The section of highway from about 1km north of Veales Rd to the intersection just before the Black River Bridge is the first part of the project to open, and it will become part of the new southbound, two-lane carriageway of the Bruce Highway.
The project will duplicate 5.2km of the highway north of Townsville between Veales Rd and Pope Rd, including the Black River Bridge.
Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the project would make the Bruce Highway safer.
“Crews have made great progress on these upgrades since starting in May 2022, with around 65 per cent of work completed,” Mr Bailey said.
“We’re expecting another one-kilometre section of new alignment on the Bruce Highway to open north of the Veales Road intersection in early October.
“Again, all traffic will switch over to the new alignment to allow crews to undertake upgrades to the existing section of the highway, including drainage works, raising the road level, pavement resealing, new line marking and installing guardrails.”
Traffic recently switched to the new alignment to allow reconfiguration works to begin on the Mount Kulburn Drive intersection, which has been closed for works and is expected to reopen in March 2023.
As part of the project, Mount Kulburn Drive has been extended to connect to Darling Road in the Eden Park Development.
Mount Kulburn Drive residents can now access the Bruce Highway via Darling Road and Veales Road.
Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper said later this year, motorists could expect more traffic switches north of the Black River Bridge, past Church Rd and Black River Rd.
“The switch traffic over to the new Black River Bridge is scheduled for about early December so rehabilitation works can start on the existing bridge,” Mr Harper said.
“When completed, this project will improve safety, efficiency and travel time reliability for the 14,000 freight and passenger vehicles that will use this section of the Bruce Highway every day.”
Federal Transport and Regional Development Minister Cathernine King said the changes would “significantly reduce” the risk of head-on collisions, and create safer overtaking options.
“The 5.2-kilometre duplication will be on separated carriageway, with either a physical barrier or sufficient separation between the northbound and southbound traffic lanes,” she said.
Hinchinbrook MP Nick Damet to says commuters are becoming increasingly frustrated as the travel time from Townsville to Ingham blows out.
Mr Damet to, the deputy leader of the Katter’s Australian Party, said while the region was appreciative of the funding allocated for the works between Townsville and Ingham, there has been questions raised about lengthy delays and the quality of works being completed.
“For anyone travelling between the Townsville CBD and Ingham, they’re looking at a two-hour bunny hop through a mine field of stop lights and speed reductions to their destination,” Mr Damet to said.
“We all understand that roadworks and upgrades bring some delays and I understand the need to reduce speed limits through sections of roadworks for the safety of construction workers and motorists, however I can understand those who have expressed frustration of having to slow down to 60km/hr for unattended sections of road works.”
The Hinchinbrook MP said it made no sense as to why the speed limit couldn’t be increased to 8km when workers were not onsite.
He added that the roads felt and looked like a ‘patchwork quilt’.
“There are sections of highway between Townsville and Ingham that have recently been completed that look horrendous, they may pass the standard that the Transport Department is willing to accept but I believe motorists deserve more for their money,” Mr Damet to said.
“There are variations in height, dips in the road and in some cases loose sections of asphalt that have caused cracked windscreens and damage to vehicles between Hechts Road to Easter Creek.”
The state government has repeatedly said the roadworks would create a safer road for motorists.
Mr Damet to said he would write to Mr Bailey to discuss the complaints he had received on past and current road improvement projects.
The project is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments in an 80:20 split.
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Originally published as First section of new Black River highway updates open