Safety audit for Bruce, CQ roads

A MONTH after receiving a petition organised by Michelle Leeson, Main Roads has announced it will conduct a comprehensive safety audit of CQ roads.

Michelle Leeson launches a petition seeking a safety audit of the Bruce Highway in April. Four members of Ms Leeson’s family died in a crash on the Bruce Highway on Australia Day. Picture: Lee Constable

A MONTH after receiving a petition organised by Michelle Leeson, who lost four members of her family in a crash on the Bruce Highway on Australia Day, the Department of Transport and Main Roads has announced it will conduct a comprehensive safety audit of Central Queensland roads.

The news also comes after a coroner’s report in February recommended a safety audit of roads near mining and regional centres.

Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace said the safety audit, which will target the Bruce Hwy and other roads in the Mackay-Whitsunday, Fitzroy and Central West regions, would be completed by early next year.

“We need to be constantly looking at improving the safety of our roads,” Mr Wallace said.

“This audit will identify priority areas for further safety work on the State-controlled road network and make recommendations about how those areas can be upgraded.

“It will examine the network using departmental safety systems and tool kits.”

The coroner’s report into the death of Robert Wilson in a two-vehicle accident on Dysart-Middlemount Rd on February 1, 2007, recommended “that a comprehensive audit be engaged in by the Department of Main Roads and Queensland Transport of Central Queensland roads to consider the appropriateness and risk posed by existing road width, road shoulders, the need or appropriateness of road signage, adequacy and/or need for additional rest areas and identification of fatigue zones where additional fatigue counter-measures might be considered”.

Mr Wallace said the upcoming audit, which would begin in the second half of this year, would look at the region’s fatigue zones, locations for new rest areas, road width, road shoulders, signage and high crash areas.

“I am very pleased to say we already are doing massive safety works in Central and North Queensland.

“This new Central Queensland safety audit will identify any other areas for action and make our network even safer.”

Mr Wallace said the State Government recently announced the beginning of construction of new safety measures on road in the region.

The Mackay-Whitsunday region would benefit from $300 million of Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NRDDA) funding and 16 new overtaking lanes, worth $36.5 million, on the Bruce Highway during the next two years, he said.

Originally published as Safety audit for Bruce, CQ roads