Truckies want 'affordable Toowoomba bypass toll'

THE Queensland Trucking Association will engage in toll discussions closer to the completion of the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing.

THE Queensland Trucking Association will engage in toll discussions closer to the completion of the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing.

CEO Peter Garske said it was presumptive to put a price on a suitable toll figure for the 41km four-lane highway, expected to be built by the end of 2018.

"The trucking industry will be as excited as anybody else by the prospect of a far more efficient and productive freight route to the north and the south, which will be achieved by the Second Range Crossing," Mr Garske said.

"Ultimately, until we understand more about the finished product and what the "savings" to an operator will be, I can't predict what a toll should be.

"But a toll below $20 is achievable in terms of savings."

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Mr Garske said the 30m cutting over the range rather than a tunnel was welcomed by the QTA in terms of road safety and potential heavy haulage.

"The difficulty with tunnels is they present some impediment to certain types of freight, particularly dangerous goods," he said.

"The less reliance on tunnels, the better for accessibility."

Mr Garske said commended the state and federal governments on Friday's announcement.

"It will be a fantastic piece of infrastructure when it is finished and will provide a whole lot of relief to our industry, whether that be customers or the long-suffering residents of Toowoomba," he said.

"The governments are to be commended with getting on with the job."

Originally published as Truckies want 'affordable Toowoomba bypass toll'