Llew O’Brien is pushing for a four-lane Bruce Hwy Bypass of Tiaro but Mark Bailey says it’s up to Mr O’Brien’s own govt

Qld Transport Minister Mark Bailey says the decision on whether the Bypass will be two or four lanes rests with Mr O’Brien’s government and the Federal Budget, which will be brought down on May 11

The question of whether the Bruce Highway Tiaro Bypass is four lanes or two could rest with the Federal Budget, to be brought down on May 11, 2021.

Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey has hit back at Federal Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien’s criticism of the State for failing to plan for a four-lane Bruce Highway bypass of Tiaro instead of two lanes.

Mr O‘Brien has said the two-lane proposal will leave taxpayers paying twice for the project.

“It doesn’t make any sense, especially when the Queensland Government admits that a four-lane Tiaro bypass is needed because it has planned a four-lane corridor – but it will only initially build two lanes.,” Mr O’Brien said.

Mr Bailey said “Mr O’Brien must be the first person to talk down funded safety upgrades to the Bruce Highway”.

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Building a brand new stretch of highway east of Tiaro will be much safer than the current undivided section it replaces, he said.

“It will take a lot of trucks off Tiaro’s Main Street, making it safer for pedestrians, and improve sections that currently flood, so the Bruce Highway will be much less likely to be cut after heavy rain.

Local Tiaro resident, Peter Lockwood, advocated for years for a pathway for children who were forced to walk along the shoulder of the Bruce Highway to get to school.Photo: Brendan Bufi / Fraser Coast Chronicle

“We’re in the design phase of this project, but it will be designed to modern safety standards with physical separation of northbound and southbound traffic lanes.

“I’ve spoken to Mr O’Brien and committed to including a concrete barrier along the length of the new road to physically separate north and south-bound traffic to ensure head on crashes are not possible.

“It will be also designed so that extra lanes can be added when the traffic volume justifies it.

“No new work will be redundant, and any claims Mr O’Brien makes to that effect is just misleading his own community.

“While it’s the Queensland Government that will build this road, it’s the Federal Government that’s funding 80 per cent of it.

“If Llew O’Brien wants this new stretch of road to be four lanes instead of two, then he should be working with his own Morrison Federal Government to get the necessary increased funding, which he has failed to achieve to date.

“He can start petitions, post on social media and keep the political spin going about it being the State Government’s fault all he likes, but at the end of the day he needs to convince his own government to find the funding.

“We’ll find out how successful he’s been at pushing his case in Canberra when the Federal Budget is handed down in a couple of weeks.”

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Flooding: The Bruce Highway cut at Chinamans Creek on the north side of Tiaro. Pic John Wilson