No road crews or machinery in sight, for the first time in months.

The Capricorn Highway duplication has finally wrapped up. Here’s a full break-down of how much work went into it.

Barry O'Rourke, Ken O'Dowd, Michelle Landry and Bruce Saunders cut the ribbon on the new stretch of highway between Yeppen and Gracemere

Motorists driving between the Yeppen roundabout and Gracemere this morning were faced with a long, smooth stretch of bitumen – double lanes - with no road crews or machinery in sight, for the first time in months.

As politicians gathered to cut the ribbon on the highway duplication, they were full of praise for the Main Roads Department and contractor Fulton Hogan.

Ken O’Dowd, Member for Flynn, said he remembered the same stretch, 20 years ago, when cars would be backed up all the way along the Bruce and Capricorn highways, and people would cut through Bouldercombe by way of a short cut.

Michelle Landry, Member for Capricornia, said the Yeppen-Gracemere route was vital in planning for the Ring Road and further improvements which would drive Central Queensland’s transport systems “from strength to strength”.

Project facts:

• 366,000 hours worked
• 85,000m3 of fill imported
• 3,080m3 of concrete poured
• 15,000t of asphalt
• 2 new bridges
• 14 piles driven
• 20 deck units placed
• 13 new drainage structures
• 55 new culverts lines
• 12.5km of on-road cycle path
• 40,000m3 of pavement placed

With upgrades to Gracemere’s Lawrie Street starting last week there is no end in sight to roadworks throughout the region.

Mr O’Dowd spoke of upgrades to the Springsure-Tambo Road which he dubbed “the worst in Australia”.

Ms Landry said works to Yeppoon Road had to be prioritised to prevent further “dreadful fatalities”.

But even as they lauded the cooperation between all levels of government to provide motorists with safer roads, there was clear evidence of drivers overtaking on the new road at speeds way above the limit.

Barry Saunders, the Assistant Minster for Regional Roads, said he had a car “pushing” him as he drive in from the Yeppen roundabout.

“We can plan and pay for the safest roads in the country but, at the end of the day, it’s driver behaviour which keeps us all safe,” he said.

“If its an 80km zone, it’s 80, not 100, no matter how many overtaking lanes there are.”