Highway and road works under way in Wide Bay Burnett | Full list

As the Wide Bay Burnett continues to mourn lives tragically lost on its roads, Queensland’s roads chief has listed every state upgrade planned. SEE THE FULL LIST

As the Wide Bay Burnett continues to mourn lives tragically lost on its roads, Queensland’s roads chief has detailed how his department is working to improve safety.

The region’s readers say 47 roads need work to make their daily commutes safer and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey has confirmed works are recently completed, under way or planned for 31 sections of road.

He said more than $1.5 billion had been committed to infrastructure projects in the Wide Bay Burnett over four years to 2026.

“We are delivering upgrades to more than a third of the Bruce Highway between Gympie and Gin Gin,” he said.

Levi Hanna, 14, died in hospital after a car hit him at Canina shortly after he got off his school bus on February 1, 2023. Family and friends will farewell him on Friday. Picture: Contributed

“We’ve also got major projects happening on the Isis Highway, Burnett Highway, Torbanlea-Pialba Road, Munduburra-Durong Road, and Gympie-Brooloo Road just to name a few.”

News Corp’s Wide Bay Burnett mastheads have been campaigning to highlight the deadly roads in this region, the cost to business, and the incredible emotional toll families carry from the tragedies that have rocked the communities along the roads of Wide Bay Burnett.

At the forefront of the Wide Bay Burnett community is the tragic loss of Canina schoolboy Levi Hanna after a car hit him on Tin Can Bay Rd just after he exited his school bus at the start of February, with residents calling for a speed reduction along the road. 

Also this month, the Bruce Highway was declared Queensland’s most unroadworthy road in the RACQ’s 2022 Unroadworthy Roads list.

RACQ members also voted on the Wide Bay Burnett region’s worst roads in the survey, with one commenter describing the stretch of the Bruce Highway south of Bundaberg “like a goat track”.

Our Wide Bay Burnett readers also declared the worst roads they had travelled on, listing 47 that need substantial work.

This publication sought comment from elected state MPs and the region’s mayors.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads has detailed the cost and number of works committed to the Wide Bay Burnett region, including 74 km of completed to planned upgrades for the Bruce Highway.

While local and state governments both share a responsibility in the roads, we take a look at what’s in store for the state-controlled roads in the Wide Bay Burnett.

“Our record program of works in the Wide Bay is headlined by major projects along the Bruce Highway,” Mr Bailey said.

Since 2020, the state government says it has spent $19m on safety upgrades along Tin Can Bay Rd.

The department said planning was also under way for overtaking lanes, with $300,000 allocated for investigation.

Department staff could not yet confirm whether the dangerous stretch in Canina, where 14-year-old Levi Hanna was hit, will get an upgrade.

But Mr Bailey said the planning study, which is expected to be completed in the next year, would determine future funding decisions.

“I was deeply saddened by the death of Levi Hanna earlier this month, and my thoughts are with his family,” Mr Bailey.

“This was an incredibly tragic incident.

“The speed limit was lowered along two sections of Tin Can Bay Rd in recent years, and my department is regularly assessing other sections to see if the same needs to be done.

“The planning study is also considering community feedback.”

Images of work on the Gympie Bypass captured by Infinity Flights Photography in January 2023.

Bruce Highway – aka ‘goat track’

The Gympie bypass, from Cooroy to Curra, with a focus on flood immunity and road safety is set to be completed mid-2024.

Taking the Bruce Highway north of Gympie and south of Bauple, works include the Kanyan Road intersection and safety upgrades between Gootchie and Sheehans Rd.

These are all set to be completed mid-2023.

Designing for a new $336m 9km Tiaro bypass will begin in the first half of this year; this will include flood immunity, road safety and capacity upgrade.

From Tiaro to Maryborough, design is under way for intersection upgrades and safety improvements between Owanyilla and Tinana.

Mr Bailey said his department finished the Salt Water Creek section — an 11km upgrade of the Bruce Highway north of Maryborough for increased flood immunity — one year early.

The $103m Saltwater Creek upgrade near Aldershot officially opened by Acting Premier Steven Miles, Roads Minister Mark Bailey and Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders in January.

Travelling further north on the Bruce, past Maryborough through Howard, Wongi and Nulla Flats motorists will see safety upgrades scheduled for completion in mid 2023.

Continuing north, the Buxton Rd intersection before Childers is currently under design for an upgrade and some safety improvements.

Then past Childers, after the turn-off to Bundaberg, overtaking should become easier at Wallaville with the completion of an overtaking lane.

North of Booyal, Mixhills and Walla Island roads will get safety upgrades. These are set to be completed in 2023.

Design is under way for five projects totalling $44m along a 12km stretch from Gin Gin to Benaraby to upgrade intersections, widen pavement, create safer road verges and new rest areas.

Map showing locations RACQ members voted on most unroadworthy roads in Wide Bay Burnett

D‘Aguilar Highway

A 24km stretch between Nanango and Kingaroy will be widened with intersection and safety upgrades. The design and construction are under way.

Other notable roads

The Bundaberg – Miriam Vale Road, which RACQ members named the second worst road in the Wide Bay Burnett, has designs under way for intersection improvements at Winfield Rd.

Maryborough – Hervey Bay Rd also earned an honourable mention from both RACQ members and Wide Bay Burnett masthead readers as one of the worst roads.

It is being designed for safety improvements and an intersection upgrade at Pialba – Burrum Heads Rd.

Road Rage Wide Bay Burnett campaign 2023

Brooweena – Woolooga Rd and the Maryborough – Cooloola Rd were both roads listed in the worst roads hall of fame, but do not have any significant road projects scheduled in the next few years.

“We understand the devastating impact of road crashes and fatalities on those left behind and to the broader community,” a TMR spokesman said.

“Our concern for victims and their families is always front of mind when deciding how to prioritise funds across the road network.”

TMR said it was completing more than $120m worth of road works, resurfacing and maintenance within Wide Bay Burnett in the 2023-24 financial year.

Construction time frames for these projects will be confirmed once detailed design is complete.

Other projects recently completed include:

Bruce Highway, Saltwater Creek and Deadmans Gully, flood immunity upgrades.

Bruce Highway safety upgrades – Tinana overtaking lanes.

Mont-Mount Perry Road, safety upgrades and progressive sealing of gravel sections.

To provide feedback to TMR – visit tmr.qld.gov.au or send a private message to the department’s Facebook page.

Originally published as Highway and road works under way in Wide Bay Burnett | Full list