Tolls set for Toowoomba Second Range Crossing

“SHOVEL ready by 2015” is the Queensland Government promise as the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing finally gets the go-ahead

ROAD TO PROGRESS: Checking out the proposed route for the Toowoomba bypass are Member for Toowoomba North Trevor Watts, Member for Lockyer Ian Rickuss, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss. Picture: Contributed

"SHOVEL ready by 2015" is the Queensland Government promise as the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing finally gets the go-ahead, though road users will have to fork out to use it when the shovels are finally put down in 2018.

Treasurer Tim Nicholls said construction on the jointly funded $1.7billion, 41km road project would start next year with the Federal Government providing the lion's share of the money.

"More than 1800 new jobs will be created during the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing project, with the $1.3billion Commonwealth commitment representing the single largest regional road infrastructure investment in Queensland's history," Mr Nicholls said.

"Over the next 30 years, the crossing will help bring about a $2.4billion increase in productivity in the Toowoomba region alone, boosting national productivity by $3.1billion."

However, Mr Nicholls told the ABC that the road would be likely to attract tolls.

"The tolls will actually just cover the operation of it, not the actual construction - that will be paid for by the state and by the Federal Government," he said.

That fact may put off some local trucking operators such as Toby Toohill of Freshwayz Transport, despite having a lot of business heading up and down the Range.

"It's been a long time coming, and we have a lot of trucks going over the range, so it's a plus for us," Mr Toohill said.

"We've paid enough in the last 18 months waiting for this. I hope there is not a toll."

But Queensland Trucking Association chief executive Peter Garske said his members understood a toll had to be charged.

"My understanding is that something in the order of around $25 is a figure that can be achieved and still have cost savings," Mr Garske said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss, who made the funding announcement in Toowoomba on Friday, called for the private sector to register interest in building the project.

"The Registration of Interest is supported by financial commitments to the project by the Australian and Queensland governments," Mr Truss said.

"It sets out the broad scope of works and objectives and invites the private sector to advise of potential interest in being involved.

"The registration process will move to a formal Expression of Interest stage over the next couple of months."

Mr Truss said they would name the successful contractor later this year, with construction expected to begin by mid-2015.

There will be also a major safety benefit now that a large number of trucks will be taken off the current crossing.

Motoring bodies regularly rate the existing range crossing as one of the worst- performing sections of road in Queensland.

It is operating near capacity and is characterised by steep gradients (up to 10%), and tight horizontal bends.

A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said the 2012 traffic count figures showed that on average 21,400 vehicles travelled on the Toowoomba Range daily.

"Of this, approximately 11,000 travelled up and 10,000 travelled down," the spokesperson said.

"About 17% (3700) of the total traffic volume was heavy vehicles."

The January 2014 Second Range Crossing project fact sheet said traffic incidents had doubled since 2010 and the road was damaged in the floods and subject to frequent closures and significant delays.

Deputy Queensland Premier Jeff Seeney said the new crossing would make a significant difference.

"Up to 30-40 minutes will be shaved off the total travel time across the range for heavy and super-heavy commercial vehicles, with drivers able to avoid up to 16 sets of traffic lights," Mr Seeney said.

Traffic volumes between Ipswich and Roma are projected to more than double over the next 20 years due growth in south-east Queensland, Toowoomba and Surat Basin energy province.
 

Toowoomba SecondRange Crossing info

What: A bypass route north of Toowoomba, 41km in length, from the Warrego Hwy at Helidon in the east to the Gore Hwy at Athol in the west via Charlton.

Construction cost: $1.7b ($1.3b from Federal Government, $400m from State Government).

Operating cost: Unknown, but to be funded by tolls.

Timeframe: Construction starts 2015, ready by 2018.

Jobs: 1800 during three-year construction period.

Economic benefit: $2.4b Toowoomba region, $3.1b nationally.

Current Crossing: The Range crossing has the highest crash rates on the Warrego Highway. There were 21 crashes on the Range between 2005 and 2009 involving death or seriously injury.  According to Main Roads, the most common issues are breakdowns and running out of fuel.
 

Originally published as Tolls set for Toowoomba Second Range Crossing