Why Second Range Crossing is so important to Toowoomba

OUR SAY: It's been a long time coming and still has a way to go but the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing is taking shape.

Toowoomba Second Range Crossing Gore Highway interchange at Athol

IT'S been a long time coming and still has a way to go but the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing is taking shape.

On Saturday, the latest piece of the highway puzzle was put in place with the opening of the western corridor from Cranley (Mort St) to Athol on the Gore Highway.

Featured at the opening ceremony was a poster with an enlarged copy of the front page of The Chronicle in August 1970 under the heading "Our bypass to be built" but followed by a sub-heading "But construction date undecided".

A few years ago, The Chronicle ran a story on an article printed in this newspaper in 1968 in which then Member for Darling Downs Sir Reginald Swartz was photographed on the down section of the Range Highway and quoted as saying "We need a new bypass".

At Saturday's opening ceremony, Member for Groom Dr John McVeigh told the throng that Sir Reginald had been talking about a new crossing as early as the 1950s.

So, it's been a long time coming but the new crossing is taking shape and any highway that will take 3500 trucks off James St daily and save those trucks about 40 minutes in travel time while avoiding up to 18 sets of traffic lights has to be welcomed.

Originally published as Why Second Range Crossing is so important to Toowoomba