What we know about Bruce Highway Gympie Bypass open date

Shrouded road signs have been erected at each end of the final stretch of the $1.162bn Cooroy to Curra Bruce Hwy Bypass, and the entire route is showing up on Google Maps, but when will it actually open?

Shrouded road signs have been erected at each end of the final stretch of the Cooroy to Curra Bruce Hwy Bypass, and the entire route now comes up on Google Maps, but when will it actually open?

The clock is rapidly ticking down to the grand opening of the $1.162 billion Gympie Bypass, but it remains unclear exactly when that will be.

A Department of Transport spokeswoman said on Thursday an exact date would be determined by weather and construction conditions, but the target was for the road to be open in October 2024, which left three weeks.

Meanwhile, sheet shrouded road signs have been erected leading on to the Bypass, and the 26km stretch is now showing up on Google Maps.

Shrouded road signs have been erected at each end of the final stretch of the Cooroy to Curra Bruce Hwy Bypass, and the entire route now comes up on Google Maps, but when will it actually open?

Once open the Bypass will improve traffic flow, avoiding 53 intersections (including nine signalised intersections) and 106 property accesses which contribute to safety and congestion issues on the existing Bruce Highway

It will improve safety and capacity through the separation of long-distance traffic from local traffic, cutting traffic volumes on the highway travelling through Gympie, with around 50 per cent less heavy vehicles

It will reduce head-on crashes by providing a divided four-lane highway, and significantly improve flood immunity compared with the old highway, which experiences frequent closures in the Gympie CBD and north and south of the city due to flooding

There has been much public speculation on social media about when it will open, and about the “piece of string” timeline and looming October 26 state election, and whether the two are connected.

Speculation has only increased since the decision to throw a $311,000 Bypass open day in August, despite no clear opening date.

Changes heralding the long-awaited opening of the Gympie Bypass on the Bruce Highway continue to appear, including the new route appearing on some online maps, but clarity on when people will finally be able to drive the $1bn, 26km stretch remains elusive. Pictures: Bronwyn Janke, Facebook.

A TMR spokeswoman said the new signs had been left covered to avoid confusing drivers until the Bypass opens.

Changes have been made to the Bruce Hwy at the Bypass’s northern entrance for safety reasons, including a lowered speed limit, removal of an overtaking lane at Anderleigh, and a new left hand turn lane into Herman’s Rd at Curra.

She said the department was unaware of any such confusion contributing to the three vehicle crash between a car, caravan, and truck carrying a house near the northern end of the Bypass on Tuesday.

Shrouded road signs have been erected at each end of the final stretch of the Cooroy to Curra Bruce Hwy Bypass, and the entire route now comes up on Google Maps, but when will it actually open?

Any road crash investigations were for police, who would “notify TMR if any road contributing factors are identified”, she said.

“Road safety is TMR’s first priority.

“If any road contributing factors are identified, we will act to address them.”

She said when the Bypass opens drivers coming off the four-lane extension and onto the existing two-lane stretch of the Bruce Hwy “will need to adjust to a different road environment, which includes more side traffic entering and exiting from property accesses, rest stops and side streets”.

“The volume of traffic turning on to and off the highway north of Gympie might also increase following the Bypass.

“The changes made to the two-lane highway just north of the bypass are important for the safety of the highway and local traffic using that section of road.”

Shrouded road signs have been erected at each end of the final stretch of the Cooroy to Curra Bruce Hwy Bypass, and the entire route now comes up on Google Maps, but when will it actually open?

Originally published as What we know about Bruce Highway Gympie Bypass open date