What the Queensland Government’s 2021-22 budget delivered for Mackay Whitsunday region’s road projects

Roads are the region’s big winner in the 2021-22 state budget, with a whopping $154 million shared across five key projects. See the breakdown.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey and Mackay MP Juileanne Gilbert at the site of the Northern access for the Mackay Ring Road. Picture: Tony Martin

The Mackay Whitsunday region's two highways as well as three major bypass projects all received funding in this year's state budget.

In total, $154,071,000 was budgeted for across the region.

It represents about 3.66 per cent of the total $4.206 billion state funding pool for Transport and Main Roads.

The Walkerston Bypass project was awarded $36.06 million to construct a new two-lane rural highway connecting the Peak Downs Highway to the Mackay Ring Road.

This is on top of a previously announced $26.28 million in last year's budget for the $150 million project.

A further $87.663 million is forecast for budgets post 2021-22.

Also on the Peak Downs, $16.663 million was allocated for the widening and strengthening of a 13km stretch between Clermont and Nebo, with another $11.115 million forecast post 2021-22.

Earlier in February, Regional Roads Assistant Minister Bruce Sanders said the total $35 million project between Wuthung Rd and Caval Ridge would wrap up this year.

The Mackay Whitsunday region will receive a share of a $500m injection to upgrade the Bruce Highway between Proserpine and Gladstone.

Progress on the Mackay Northern Access Upgrade near Mount Pleasant. Picture: Melanie Whiting

The Mackay Northern Access Upgrade project secured a $42.5 million slice in the 2021-22 budget - a little more than a third of the works' total estimated cost of $120.35 million.

The money will go towards building extra lanes, with a further $6.927 allocated for the project post 2021-22.

The Mackay Port Access project that will connect the Bruce Highway to Slade Point received $4.9 million, adding to the $4.17m already spent on the project.

A further $340.942 million is budgeted for post 2021-22 with the project's total cost estimated at $350 million.

Stage 1 of the Mackay Ring Road - running from just north of Bakers Creek through to Glenella - received $17.212 million in the 2021-22 budget, including for works between the intersection of the Bruce Highway and Bald Hill Rd at Glenella.

Another $127.172 million for Stage 1 was allocated for future budget handdowns, with almost $353 million already spent on the project.

Moving towards Proserpine, $1.636 million will go towards upgrading the Bruce Highway's flood immunity at Jumper Creek with a further $20.1 million sectioned for post 2021-22.

Jumper Creek was first identified as a flooding hotspot in a 2011 Main Roads study, with $2.634 million spent on the project to date.

There was also a further $8.73 million budgeted to "rehabilitate and widen" the highway from Hampden to Kuttabul, with $15.173 million already spent on the project and another $13.057 million forecast for future budgets.

Between Proserpine and Bowen, $14.63 million will go towards widening the highway at various spots between Emu Creek and Drays Rd, with a further $14.882 million allocated for post 2021-22.

This follows from the $7.389 million allocated to the same section of road in the previous 2020-21 budget.

And $11.74 million will go towards improving safety on the Bruce between Ten Mile Creek and Yeates Creek in Bowen, with $2.6 million spent on the section to date.

A further $29.696 is forecast for post 2021-22 budgets.

Originally published as What the Queensland Government’s 2021-22 budget delivered for Mackay Whitsunday region’s road projects