Bruce Highway condition blasted by Qld motorists after flood delays, pothole damage

Fury over one of the state’s most prominent highways has sparked fresh calls for Queensland to be split in two, with proposals for coal money to go into north Queensland roads.

Heidi Petith and Mitchell Dyer

6 min read

January 24, 2023 - 6:23AM

Video shows flooding of Bruce Highway upgrades at Calen

Destructive wet weather has reignited a fury burning in the bellies of North Queenslanders who are fed up with the ramshackle condition of the Bruce Highway.

They want off the roundabout of promises falling short and the rhetoric of ‘upgrades are coming’ as they sorely witness billions poured into the southeast section of the Bruce.

Hundreds — including truck drivers, families, tourists, and those needing to get to long-awaited medical appointments to name a few — were stranded for days in January when the Bruce flooded at Bowen and Proserpine.

Many more still were then faced with crossing double white lines to avoid potholes taking up the width of entire lanes as others were forced to drive through them, blowing tyres, destroying rims, and even totalling cars.

This was as Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert said the “roads had held up well” with the Labor government hoping to get “things moving” on “expensive” Bruce Highway upgrades after George Christensen exited his federal Dawson seat.

This is despite Mr Christensen’s well-known campaigns to secure road funding for the north, including one where he infamously donned a leotard.

Kuttabul retiree Glen McKay is furious about the condition of the Bruce Highway. He is pictured on January 21 at the floodproofing works at Calen, just north of Kuttabul, where January rainfalls caused the highway to be closed. Picture: Heidi Petith

Retirees Glen and Fay McKay, who live in Kuttabul between Mackay and Proserpine, say for as long as they could remember, the highway at Goorganga Plains south of Proserpine went under every wet season.

‘COAL MONEY GOING DOWN SOUTH’

“All the money that we get from the coal is going down south,” Mr McKay said.

“You know would what I would love to see?” Mrs McKay added.

“Queensland as two states. From Rocky up north is ours, from Rocky down – Brisbane can keep them.”

Kuttabul retiree Glen McKay is furious about the condition of the Bruce Highway. Picture: Heidi Petith

Mr McKay was angry when he learned Transport and Roads Minister Mark Bailey had flown into Mackay on Thursday to inspect the condition of the Bruce Highway, only to turn around shortly after reaching Calen, spending less than an hour on the road.

Transport and Roads Minister Mark Bailey flew into Mackay and drove a small section of the Bruce Highway as part of his inspection following the rainfall event in North Queensland. Picture: Heidi Petith

“(The government) should (drive) from Brisbane to Cairns, that’s what they should do, the whole bloody road,” Mr McKay said.

Mrs McKay, who is fed up with being told to “drive to conditions” said she’d like to see Mr Bailey “hit a couple of potholes and blow a tyre” so he could relate to what North Queenslanders endured.

“Would he know how to change a tyre?” she asked.

This publication pressed Mr Bailey’s office to join him on his highway inspection.

BAILEY PRESSED ON FLOOD-PROOFING

During a pit stop where the minister shook hands with road crews patching up potholes, we pressed him on when the government would finally fix the highway at Goorganga Plains where the Bruce was built on top of wetlands.

Transport and Roads Minister Mark Bailey meeting with Road Tek crew members (from left) Tyrone Russo, Chris Field, Andrew McGlashan, Ron Kirk and Red Tessmer along the Bruce Highway near Calen on Thursday, January 19, 2023, as part of his inspection following the rainfall event in North Queensland. Picture: Heidi Petith

We asked Mr Bailey whether they would shift the Bruce west toward the rail lines as locals had pleaded for decades.

During the flooding, black swans and a crocodile had taken to frolicking over the top of the highway for three days.

“Obviously one of your constraints is the rail line,” Mr Bailey replied.

“You’ve got to be careful that whatever you do doesn't impact something that carries an enormous amount of freight into North Queensland.

“The roadway is here (at that location) for relatively good reason.”

Mr Bailey said a business case for Goorganga Plains to be finalised this year would target “greater flood capacity” similar to culverts works at Calen, a $23 million flood resilience project covering about 1km between Jorgensens Rd and Jumper Creek.

The $23 million flood resilience project covering about a kilometre stretch between Jorgensens Rd and Jumper Creek along the Bruce Highway at Calen. January 21, 2023. Picture: Heidi Petith

“Our road engineers are very aware of this (Goorganga) section of what the issues are and that's why they’re increasing the ability for the water to go under the road rather than going over it,” he said.

Mr Bailey added the study, which must account for the “very flat” section with “very complex hydrology”, would give the government an “idea of delivery options, costings, that sort of thing”.

Drone images of flooding at Thompson's Creek on the Bruce Highway at Goorganga Plains looking north. Photos: Robert Murolo

But he would not answer whether Labor would be willing to be visionary by spending extra money now to show it was serious on properly fixing Goorganga Plains.

‘NO FUNDING FOR DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION’

He labelled the question as “hypothetical” before reverting back to Labor’s “record” $13 billion Bruce Highway Upgrade Program rollout.

“It’s chalk and cheese (compared to LNP),” Mr Bailey said.

He also would not answer whether North Queenslanders could expect Goorganga to be fixed in five, 10, 15 or 20 years from now, saying it would depend on the business case.

“We’ll be upgrading the Bruce Highway for a long time,” Mr Bailey said.

“I’ve been to a lot of upgrades through this whole section – Mackay to Townsville – over the last six or seven years. Quite a few of them are completed.”

Road Tek crew members Andrew McGlashan and Chris field working to patch the Bruce Highway near Calen on Thursday, January 19, 2023, following the rainfall event in North Queensland. Picture: Heidi Petith

A Transport and Main Roads spokesman said there was a $15 million project along the Bruce at Goorganga Plains and Myrtle Creek to “plan and preserve the road corridor” for a future upgrade.

“A business case is currently being finalised to assess and recommend delivery options,” the TMR spokesman said.

“However this project is not currently funded for design or construction.”

‘WORST ROAD IN QUEENSLAND’

The fury concerning the condition of the Bruce Highway north of Mackay is mirrored regarding the stretch south to Rockhampton as two mechanics operating in Sarina, who asked to remain anonymous, will attest to.

“It has to be the worst section of road in Queensland,” one of the mechanics, who was inundated with customer’s blown tyres and shattered rims, said.

“They need to tear up the s--t they put down and put decent f--king roads in.

“I’ve lived here all my life and this year has to be one of the worst years for it.”

Motorists are having to swerve over solid white lines to avoid a massive pothole near Koumala south of Mackay along the Bruce Highway. Picture: Mitchell Dyer

The mechanic said one mother with two young children in tow managed to drive 20km on damaged tyres to camp at his shop overnight for help come the morning.

The other mechanic called on Mr Bailey and the government to do more.

“They’re not paying for our repairs are they?” she said.

‘THE ROAD ISN’T CAR-WORTHY’

Her employee added, “We have to get our cars roadworthy but the road isn’t car-worthy.”

“For the safety of everyone in North Queensland, something needs to happen,” they said.

Road Tek crews are busy patching potholes along the Bruce Highway after January 2023 rainfalls closed the road at several points including at Bowen and Proserpine. Picture: Heidi Petith

But much to the rage of North Queenslanders, politicians seem to be preoccupied with passing the buck on the Bruce, evidenced in the comments on Dawson MP Andrew Willcox’s Facebook page as he criticised Mr Bailey’s visit to Mackay, labelling it a “joke”.

Mr Bailey retorted Mr Willcox had “picked up some bad Barnaby Joyce political spin tactics in (his) first six months as a newbie LNP fed MP”.

Yet the comment section is littered with residents calling for an end to the “circus” and their “goat track” Bruce.

Mr Bailey on Thursday reaffirmed Labor was committed to building a “second Bruce Highway from Charters Towers to Mungindi”.

“(It) was bagged by the LNP when we announced it in 2020,” he said in a statement.

“The Inland Freight Route will provide a genuine alternative to keep supplies coming into Central and Northern Queensland communities during the wet season or a cyclone.”

But the $1 billion state and federal-funded IFR does not actually duplicate the Bruce Highway. It instead will provide a “real alternative” through upgrading the Gregory, Dawson, and Carnarvon Highways.

This publication asked federal road minister Catherine King for comment but did not receive a response by deadline.

Flood resilience projects under the $13 billion Bruce Highway Upgrade

Already completed:

Cattle Creek and Frances Creek Upgrade ($88 million)
Haughton River and Pink Lilly Lagoon upgrade ($409 million)
Realign and raise Highway from Sandy Corner – Collinsons Lagoon ($48 million)
Yellow Gin Creek Bridge upgrade ($15 million)
Sandy Gully Bridge upgrade ($32 million)
Yeppen Flood Plain upgrade ($148 million)
Saltwater Creek upgrade ($103 million)

Under planning, design or construction:

Jumper Creek upgrade ($23 million) – In construction
Tiaro Flood Immunity Upgrade ($336 million) – In design
Dallachy Road Flood Immunity Upgrade ($11 million) – Planning

Other projects having scope of flood resilience, in addition to the safety and capacity upgrade are:

Cooroy to Curra section C ($217 million) – Completed
Caboolture-Bribie Island Road to Steve Irwin Way upgrade ($663 million) – In construction
Cooroy to Curra section D ($1 billion) – In construction
Rockhampton Ring Road ($1.065 billion) – In Design
Vantassel to Cluden Upgrade ($154 million) – Completed

There are several planning-only projects contributing to flood resilience. For these projects, funds are available only for the initial planning and preservation of the corridor: