What Qld drivers think of the Bruce Highway, how to improve it

More than half of Queenslanders have witnessed an accident on the Bruce Highway and a whopping one in three people are dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied with the nation’s longest route, a new survey has revealed. HAVE YOUR SAY

More than half of Queenslanders have witnessed an accident on the Bruce Highway and a whopping one in three people are dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied with the nation’s longest route, a new survey has revealed.

A poll of more than 1000 Queenslanders across the state, conducted by NRMA Insurance for The Courier-Mail, has revealed drivers are avoiding the Bruce Highway - many of them over safety concerns.

More than half of people surveyed had been negatively impacted by an experience on the Bruce Highway. Picture Lachie Millard

The new figures come as The Courier-Mail is partnering with NRMA Insurance and regional news mastheads across Queensland this year to drive positive outcomes through the Help Our Highway advocacy campaign

The NRMA Insurance survey revealed four out of 10 Queenslanders believed the Bruce Highway is an unsafe road to travel on, with 58 per cent of motorists saying they had been negatively impacted by an experience on the route.

NRMA Insurance executive manager Natalie Major said the survey and claims data showed more needed to be done to improve safety on the major highway.

“Our NRMA Insurance motor claims data shows there has been a 48 per cent increase in the number of incidents on the Bruce Highway between 2019 and 2023,” she said.

“The Bruce Highway has been a safety issue for decades and despite improvement efforts, it is clear more help is needed to make this vital stretch of road safer for drivers and passengers.”

Meanwhile, 72 per cent of those polled revealed they had been held up by an accident with a third of those delayed more than three hours.

Safety concerns and bad conditions on the Bruce Highway had led to a third of Queenslanders avoiding the Bruce Highway on family holidays.

SCROLL DOWN TO VOTE IN OUR POLL AND SHARE YOUR OWN BRUCE HIGHWAY EXPERIENCES IN THE COMMENTS

A total of 27 per cent said they had to change holiday plans due to conditions on the Bruce Highway.

The Bruce Highway is the biggest carrier of traffic in the state. It is also the longest highway in Australia at about 1700km — a distance equivalent to driving from Paris to Naples.

According to survey respondents the Sunshine Coast to Gympie stretch of the Bruce Highway is the least safe section of the route, followed by Gympie to Bundaberg and Bundaberg to Rockhampton.

A truck on fire at on the Bruce Highway, south of Rockhampton, in July 2023.

However, according to five years’ of claims data, incidents on the Bruce Highway most frequently happened in Caboolture, Gympie, Burpengary and Rockhampton.

The NRMA Insurance survey found 52.5 per cent had witnessed an accident on the Bruce Highway, while 5.8 per cent had themselves been involved in one.

Devastatingly more than one in 10 (14 per cent) revealed their life or that of someone they know had been impacted by a fatal crash on the Bruce Highway.

Regional mayors are crying out for more funding to upgrade the highway from state and federal governments amid fears sections will get worse as the population surges.

Gladstone Regional Council Mayor Matt Burnett said the population in his area was booming amid a surge in renewable energy projects in the area, with materials being brought in via the town’s port.

And the Bruce Highway, as the major connector, was in dire need of upgrades amid increasing use.

“You have a look at the money that leaves our region, not just from Gladstone but from our beef in Central Queensland as well,” he said.

“With the revenue we supply for the state and federal government … we deserve more (funding for the Bruce) and we want more.”

The scene of a fatal crash on the Bruce Highway at Tinana in 2011.

Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor Tony Williams, 75 minutes up the Bruce Highway from Gladstone, said the link between the two towns needed to be developed.

“We know that both our regions are focused on attracting new jobs and industries and a safe, reliable and secure road transport link between the two cities will be vital,” he said.

“When you take Rockhampton’s airport, education sector and history as a service hub for the broader Central Queensland region and you put that with Gladstone’s major port and industrial base, I think you have some real opportunities to foster and develop new industry and opportunities.

“That will only be achievable though if we ensure our transport and logistic links like the Bruce Highway keep pace with that vision and goal.”

Rockhampton Mayor Tony Williams.

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig.

Gympie Regional Council Mayor Glen Hartwig said accidents were frequent on the section of the Bruce Highway just north of the town due to high usage.

“I’d like to see better future planning for the highway and continual long-term contract management to allow for better savings for taxpayers,” he said.

The surge in traffic was echoed by Fraser Coast Regional Council Mayor George Seymour who called for more sections with dual lanes in each direction as his region’s section of the Bruce Highway gets “busier and busier”.

Sunshine Coast Regional Council Mayor Rosanna Natoli said state and federal government investment in the region - one of Australia’s fastest growing - was critical and the Bruce Highway was a key part of its investment needs.

“It is not sustainable or acceptable to our community for the Bruce Highway to regularly be a carpark,” she said.

“The State Government’s SEQ Regional Plan outlines that our population will increase by 8,400 people every year, reaching more than 565,000 by 2046. With this scale of growth forecast, our infrastructure needs must be a high priority for federal and state governments.”

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli.

Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson.

Townsville Mayor Troy Thompson said not enough new road infrastructure in his region had been completed.

“The Bruce Highway is our number one highway, it should be at least a dual carriageway throughout the entire region,” he said.

“It’s time to stop the political play, and deliver real outcomes not studies.”

Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden said she wanted to see the slated upgrade of the Bruce at Foster Rd proceed as quickly as possible “as it will further reduce traffic congestion and increase capacity, as well as improve and safety”.

Sunshine Coast mum of six Jess Young described the Bruce Highway as a “necessary evil” and unavoidable when living in Southeast Queensland.

Mum of six Jess Young with Reef 2, twins Ace and Jet 12, and friend Benji Blumson 12, taking a break from the highway at Traveston on the way home from holidaying at Inskip Point. Picture Lachie Millard

“Unfortunately when you live on the Sunshine Coast, have to travel for work and school and have six boys who want to go camping and run around all time, it is very hard to avoid definitely a necessary evil,” Ms Young said.

“It’s such a nightmare around Gympie, there could be a lot to improve it for sure, and considering that it is only going to get more populated it probably needs to get done quickly.”

Ms Young said that the Bruce Highway becomes even more unsafe around holiday time.

“We are coming back from Inskip Point, so quite a bit of driving has been done on the Bruce Highway,” she said.

“You do have to have your wits about it when driving on it, especially around holiday time just because there are so many more people travelling on it.”

- Additional reporting Scott Kovacevic and Aden Stokes