MP Bruce Saunders calls for 4-lane Bruce Hwy from Gympie to Maryborough

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders says it’s time for a four-lane Bruce Hwy between the Fraser Coast and Gympie to happen.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders says the Bruce Hwy north of Gympie needs to be four lanes.

Maryborough Labor MP Bruce Saunders is calling for the longstanding dream of a four-lane Bruce Hwy between his city and Gympie to become reality, saying previous efforts had been thwarted by politics.

Speaking at the opening of a new interchange on the Gympie Bypass on Friday, Mr Saunders said the new $1bn section of the highway being built highlighted the need for the next 46km north of Curra to be done.

“Forget the politics, it’s about people’s safety,” Mr Saunders said.

“There’s a lot of crashes on the road, we’re aware of that.”

Driver error would never be eradicated from the road “but if we have the four lanes divided lanes … the crashes won’t be as bad, or they won’t happen as constantly as what they’re happening at the moment”.

Mr Saunders said TMR and the government had been proactive improving and repairing the road, especially in the wake of the 2022 floods “there have been parts of the road which haven’t been the best”.

“It’s time that we get the four lanes right through now”.

Mr Saunders said one hurdle had been removed in mid 2022.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was Transport Minister when work on the bypasses started, Labor MP Bruce Saunders said, and was “quite aware” of the condition of the Bruce Hwy between Gympie and Maryborough. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

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“We’ve got a new federal government, (and) we know that under the former LNP federal government they took money out of Queensland and put it into New South Wales,” Mr Saunders said.

“We know that happened, the facts and figures are there.

“We’ve got a new federal government who is looking at all the road projects … the Prime Minister is very aware of this.

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“When he was Transport Minister he was the one who actually started the bypasses and the first section of the four lane highway … he was the Minister in charge.

“He’s quite aware of this road, he’s driven on it many times.

Maryborough Labor MP Bruce Saunders said the latest stages of the Gympie Bypass highlight the need for a four lane Bruce Hwy right through to his city.

“We’ll be working with the new federal government to make sure Queensland gets its fair share.

Upgrading the highway to four lanes would impact more than road safety too, Mr Saunders said.

Better health and education services were among then benefits the upgrade would deliver across the Gympie and Fraser Coast regions.

“It just goes on and on,” Mr Saunders said, adding securing the upgraded was only possible with collaboration from the two regions’ mayors.

“Early discussions now but we’re very tenacious”. mayors “put their politics aside”