Push is on for final lifesaver at Cooroy to Curra link

Call for funding of vital road link

FINAL CALL: MP llew O'Brien said the Section D funding is desperately needed for the Cooroy to Curra final safety push. Picture: Darryn Smith

FOR some Noosa locals heading north it is a bottleneck but for far too many road travellers each year heading through Gympie, this section of the Bruce Highway is a death trap.

And Member for Wide Bay Llew O'Brien is not slowing down any time soon when it comes to putting pressure on his own Federal Government to fund Section D of the Cooroy to Curra which includes the Gympie by-pass.

The former local policeman highlighted this section as one of the most lethal in the world during a speech in parliament and called on 2018 budget funding to complete the upgrade.

"Too many lives are being lost on the section of Bruce Highway which passes through my electorate,” Mr O'Brien said.

"It has consistently been rated as one of the deadliest sections along the national highway, and as a former policeman and traffic accident investigator I have dealt with the tragedy wreaked on my community by this road.

"The Cooroy to Curra job is still only half done. We need to get on with construction of section D, the biggest part of this Bruce Highway upgrade. Its time has well and truly come.”

He said the 26 kilometre section "is a completely new road that will skirt around Gympie, eliminating eight sets of traffic lights, two school zones and eight speed limit changes”.

"When completed it will save considerable time, providing a high capacity, high speed highway,” he said.

"Most importantly, long sections of subgrade 100 km/h road to the north will be avoided, and it will be safe. The Queensland Government has committed to the project. We have the business case. The detailed design report is about to be released.”

He said the government had spent $52million on land acquisition and planning and all that was left now was federal funding.

"The RACQ estimated that without future action there will be a further 350 deaths and 5000 injuries over the next decade (along this section),” he said.

"Section D will improve productivity, labour mobility and the supply chain and eliminate frequent blockages caused by flood.”