‘My car is f--ked’: Angry motorists tell of Bruce Highway tyre blowouts

North Queensland’s extreme flooding event is now taking a huge toll on drivers some who have suffered tyre blowouts and damage to their vehicles on a Bruce Highway pitted with huge potholes.

Dozens of Bruce Highway drivers have miraculously escaped serious injuries with blown tyres and buckled rims after the past week’s deluge around Mackay.

Sarina resident Mervyn Reeves said his car was ruined after driving home from work in Mackay.

“They’d patched a couple of potholes, the major ones,” Mr Reeves said.

“As I was coming around a corner, a car (in the opposite lane) was coming towards me and they didn’t turn their high beams down.

“I couldn’t see nothing, two big potholes … my front end hit the ground.

“I blew three tyres and cracked me alloy rims … when I got home there was just smoke pouring out the back of my car.

Sarina resident Mervyn Reeves is not happy after he blew three tyres and cracked his alloy rims on the Bruce Highway potholes. Picture: Mitchell Dyer

“I can’t even get to work, had to ring me boss and tell him that my car is f--ked.”

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

There are reports service stations dotted along the Bruce between Mackay and Sarina are becoming popular queuing spots for motorists as they ring for tow trucks, put on spares, and make repairs to their cars.

Sarina resident Bonnie Weston said many were taking to social media to warn each other about the “massively dangerous” conditions.

Tyre blowouts and damaged rims after along the Bruce Highway. Picture: Mitchell Dyer

“My friend saw someone drive into a pothole,” Ms Weston said.

“That pothole shredded the tyre and sent that car sideways.

“It frightened me … I’m waiting for someone to get hurt.”

A truck near a pothole on the Bruce Highway. Picture: Mitchell Dyer

Like Mr Reeves, Ms Weston is fed up with paying taxes and registration while bandaid solutions are applied to the Bruce Highway in Central and Northern Queensland.

They want to see the roundabout of numerous governments and politicians promising to fix the stretch change into concrete action.

“They don’t see how bad it is because they fly in and they wander around the City Heart or they might go to a hotspot,” Ms Weston said.

The Daily Mercury has taken a closer look at some of the potholes on the highway Picture: Mitchell Dyer

“If they had to drive that road (everyday), it’d be fixed.”

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey is holding a press conference in Mackay shortly before 1pm on Thursday.

He will speak about how the recently completed Mackay Northern Access Upgrade, centred on the Bruce Highway at Mount Pleasant and Glenella, fared in the recent rainfalls which produced figures ranging from 600mm to more than a metre across the Mackay region.

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

He will then join a TMR representative to inspect the Bruce between Mackay and Goorganga Plains just south of Proserpine.

His visit comes one day after state opposition leader David Crisafulli called a press conference, alongside Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm, with the pair slamming the government for the “absolutely farcical” state of the Bruce.

Numerous people have in turn labelled his criticism as grandstanding.

Mark Bailey will visit Mackay. File photo Lachie Millard

“Wasn’t George (Christensen) going to fix it?” Tania Gibbons asked.

“His party had nine years in federal parliament to do something about it,” Gareth Taylor added.

A TMR spokesman said they were aware of increased potholes and damage across the region.

Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm and state opposition leader David Crisafulli slammed the 'farcical' condition of the Bruce Highway during a press conference in Mackay on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. Picture: Zoe Devenport

He said crews were making emergency repairs “as quickly as possible” and were assessing and monitoring conditions which included installing signs to alert motorists of hazards where repairs could not be done immediately.

“Repairs are based on priority with the largest potholes under heaviest traffic repaired first,” the TMR spokesman said.

“Also, the safety of road workers to undertake the assessments is paramount while we are still experiencing severe rainfall.”

He said they would inspect roads and bridges for safety before they are reopened and thanked drivers for their patience.

“As always, road users are urged to drive to the weather and road conditions, obeying traffic controllers and signs in place,” he said.

“Motorists can also report road damage and flooding on state-controlled roads at www.tmr.qld.gov.au or 13 19 40.”

Originally published as ‘My car is f--ked’: Angry motorists tell of Bruce Highway tyre blowouts