New details on when Bruce Highway Tiaro Bypass will become reality

The key $336m project was promised by the federal government, but a local MP says there’s far more work to be done on the Bruce Hwy.

Work on the long-awaited Tiaro Bypass will not start until the back half of 2025 at the very earliest, with the state Transport Department confirming detailed designs for the $336m project are still not yet finished.

Work on the long-awaited Tiaro Bypass will not start until the back half of 2025 at the very earliest, with the state Transport Department confirming detailed designs for the $336m project are still not yet finished.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesman confirmed the current status of the project on Monday, which had been touted by people including Wide Bay LNP MP Llew O’Brien as an urgently needed road safety upgrade.

While the project is moving forward, the opening date for the 9km stretch of bypass remains unclear.

Initial documentation submitted for the project, which would construct a four-lane extension of the Bruce Hwy east of the town, flagged a possible construction start date of February 2025.

However, the detailed design is yet to be forwarded to Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg.

Tenders would then be called for the project, with work to finally start once they were awarded.

Initial documentation submitted for the project, which would construct a four-lane extension of the Bruce Highway to the east of the town, flagged a possible construction start date of February 2025. However detailed design on the project is now not expected to be finished until the second half of 2025. Picture: TMR

The time frame for this process could take up to a year.

The spokesman said time frames for the work “will be confirmed after the completion of the detailed design”.

No changes were expected for traffic controls in the centre of Tiaro.

The stretch, which includes traffic lights in the middle of a 40km/h zone through the town centre, came under heavy criticism from drivers who found themselves stuck in backed up traffic during the peak holiday period.

No changes were on the cards to traffic controls in the centre of Tiaro while progress continues towards completion of the bypass, with a TMR spokesman saying the lights were timed in accordance with national guidelines

“Walk times at traffic signals are set in accordance with national guidelines which take into consideration the walking speed of different age groups, including the elderly and children,” the spokesman said.

“As the Bruce Highway is a busy national road, it’s important we try to balance appropriate walk times with the need to keep highway traffic moving.

“The signals in Tiaro have been set to have the maximum permissible delay between activations (which means activating from green lights to red to allow a pedestrian to cross) to give highway traffic the best opportunity to clear.

“We encourage motorists to drive to conditions and stay safe on our roads during holiday and wet seasons.”

The bypass is separate to upgrades expected to be delivered as part of a $7.2bn funding injection announced at the start of January by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ahead of the 2025 election.

The announcement came on the heels of a shocking crash at Owanyilla, about 5km north of Tiaro, in which two men were killed and a young boy seriously injured.

However, Mr Albanese said the stretch of the Bruce Hwy north of this section, from Maryborough to Benaraby, had been highlighted as the top priority for immediate safety upgrades in the new package.

TIARO: Busy northbound traffic moves through Tiaro. Photo: Stuart Fast

Meanwhile, Federal Flynn LNP MP Colin Boyce has described the highway as a “national disgrace”.

“This national Highway stretches from Brisbane to Cairns and is essential for thousands of Queenslanders who rely on this vital piece of infrastructure,” Mr Boyce said.

“It’s about time this Government invested in this critical highway. However, there needs to be a commitment that the stretch of Highway between Gin Gin and Rockhampton be prioritised and upgraded as soon as possible.

“At Benaraby just outside of Gladstone, rather than providing essential upgrades such as adequate turning lanes and associated infrastructure, the speed limit has been reduced.

“Quick fixes like this do not improve the safety of the highway for the local community or road users.

“Furthermore, the Labor Government’s decision to reverse the 80:20 funding split to 50:50 in following Labor’s infrastructure pipeline review in 2023 has proven detrimental to funding for our highway delaying much needed safety improvements.

TIARO BYPASS: Heavy traffic travelling through Tiaro. Photo: Stuart Fast

“Thankfully, the Labor Government has heard our calls loud and clear and finally agreed to reinstate an 80:20 funding split for the Bruce Highway. Something that my Coalition colleagues and I have been calling on for years.

“The question must be asked of Labor given the importance of the Bruce Highway, why wasn’t it identified as a priority for further funding sooner?

“Why has it taken two and a half years for the Prime Minister to start listening to community concerns about the Bruce Highway? Why has the announcement also conveniently been made in an election year?

“I will continue my fight for more funding for Central Queensland’s patch of the Bruce Highway.”