Toowoomba council to upgrade multiple roads in Highfields, residents urged to plan ahead

Works will finally start on the long-awaited Highfields town centre masterplan as part of a slate of road upgrades the council will carry. See the full list here and how it affects you.

Highfields residents have been urged to plan ahead and alter their routes as the council ramps up the upgrades of multiple roads across the area, including some involved with the development of a new town centre for the growing community.

Kuhls, Kratzke and Highfields roads are just some of streets that will all be affected over the next few months, with traffic changes in place for the first half of 2024.

Infrastructure chair councillor Carol Taylor said these were part of the initial development of the long-awaited Highfields Central masterplan.

MASTER DESIGNS: Concept art of what the future Highfields CBD will look like, after the master plan was endorsed by the council.

“Council has started work on the second stage of the Kuhls Road Rehabilitation project,” she said.

“Further, from late February, works will start at the Kratzke Rd and Highfields Rd intersection for utility relocations.

“The works on Kratzke and Highfields roads are part of the early works for the Highfields Central Masterplan and the future town centre of Highfields.

“We have carefully considered the disruption to motorists’ regular routes and have designed detours around all the work sites.

“A temporary road will be constructed to connect Highfields Rd to O’Brien Rd to maintain access for businesses and community services in this area.

Map of Highfields roadworks by Toowoomba Regional Council.

“As part of these works, there will be a series of road closures on Kratzke Rd and Highfields Rd, which will be staged to minimise the overall length of work and traffic disruption.”

The master plan was endorsed in 2018 by the council, with calls made by the Highfields Chamber of Commerce for the project to be ramped up.

Ms Taylor said another slate of works would start relating to the council’s 2022 flood recovery program.

“There are still many roads and culverts in the greater Highfields area that are scheduled to be replaced or upgraded, with works scheduled over coming months,” she said.

“The culvert on Woolmer Rd was significantly affected by the February 2022 flood event.

“A road closure at the culvert site will be in place from late January 2024 for approximately three months, weather permitting.

“This will be followed by works at another culvert on Cawdor Drive, near Franke Rd.”

Ms Taylor urged residents to consider alternative routes over the coming months.

“It will be important for residents of Highfields and surrounding communities to be aware of the various changes to alter their travel plans and allow for intermittent delays and detours,” she said.

“We thank the community for their patience while these vital works are completed to help improve our road network and put plans in place for the future CBD of Highfields.”

List of Highfields road works in 2024

Highfields, O’Brien and Kratzke Road intersections

Council will be relocating electrical and water services as part of early works for the Central Highfields Intersections project.

Kuhls Road Rehabilitation (stage B)

The Kuhls Road Rehabilitation Project is to rehabilitate the pavement and improve drainage of the section of Kuhls Road, Highfields between Cawdor Drive and Bunya View Drive.

Flood Recovery Program – Woolmer Road

Significant works are required to repair a culvert on Woolmer Road, approximately 130m west of Parkway Drive.

Flood Recovery Program — Cawdor Drive

Works are required to repair a culvert on Cawdor Drive, approximately 40m south of Franke Road.