Qld government to start work on $27m upgrade of Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road after 25 years of carnage

An 80km stretch of road that has claimed the lives of 17 people this century will finally be getting a much-needed upgrade. Details here:

One of the Toowoomba region’s deadliest roads will receive a massive boost to upgrade it, as part of funding in the Queensland budget.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads will start work this month on $27m in improvements to Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road, which stretches from Wellcamp to the township of Cecil Plains.

Queensland government data showed nearly 140 crashes involving injuries have been recorded either along or at the intersections of Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road since 2001, killing 17 people and hospitalising more than 86 others.

Ambulance Officers work on the occupant of a fatal single vehicle accident on the Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Road 30km west of Toowoomba. The crash killed five people. Pic David Martinelli

The works, funded through the Target Road Safety Project, was announced on the back of significant feedback from community members and property owners about safety concerns.

The 78km rural road, which is Toowoomba’s main connection point to the city’s waste management centre, Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport and the Beef City abattoir, has been the notorious scene of multiple serious traffic incidents.

The worst of these was a horrific five-person single-vehicle fatal in April 2006, while another three crashes have resulted in two deaths each.

Emergency services on the scene of a serious crash involving two cars at the intersection of Oakey-Pittsworth and Toowoomba-Cecil Plains Rds, Saturday, December 06, 2014. Photo Kevin Farmer / The Chronicle

TMR southern Queensland regional director Bill Lansbury said the upgrades would include new dedicated turning lanes and intersection upgrades, pavement widenings, signage and audio tactile line markings.

“The Department of Transport and Main Roads understands the importance of this road to the Darling Downs region,” he said.

“No one knows more about what’s needed on this key route than the locals who use it, and these safety upgrades were key priorities in the community feedback.

“This project will not only increase the transport efficiency and reliability of the road but help to save lives and reduce the risk of serious crashes.”

The upgrades are expected to be finished by the end of next year.

Planning first started on the upgrades in 2021, with TMR reaching out to residents and road users about how safety could be improved.