Barnaby Joyce to announce $400m budget commitment for Inland Freight Route upgrade

The federal government will today announce $400m to upgrade a major freight route that will take trucks off the Bruce Hwy and ease congestion.

Congestion on the Bruce Highway would be eased by a $400 million budget commitment to take trucks off the major road by upgrading the Inland Freight Route.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will announced the funding for the Inland Freight Route upgrade on Thursday.

The significant freight route runs 1184km from Charters Towers to Mungindi on the New South Wales border.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will announce an additional $400 million for the Inland Freight Route. Picture Emma Brasier

It is in addition to the $400 million committed in last year’s budget, with the cash to be spent over the next decade going towards realignments, overtaking lanes, flood resilience and drainage works, pavement widening and safety treatments.

Mr Joyce said as well as making it easier to get goods from regional businesses to supermarkets and ports, it would take trucks off the Bruce Highway.

“Slashing travel times for trucks means the valuable commodities they carry reach our ports quicker and we get paid sooner,” Mr Joyce said.

“Improving key freight routes will drive the growth of regional industries that produce wealth, like our mining and agriculture sectors.”

Traffic congestion on the Bruce Highway.

The road construction is expected to create 2000 jobs.

Last year the State Government requested $800 million from the Commonwealth for works on the Inland Freight Route, while it contributed $200 million towards the project.

Funding for regional roads is usually split on an 80/20 per cent basis between the federal and state governments.

The route can also serve reliable alternative to the Bruce Highway during wet weather events.