Dawson Highway motorists see benefits of upgrades

Motorists travelling the Dawson Highway are beginning to experience the benefits of a smoother and wider highway west of Calliope, with the first sections of the $64 million highway upgrade now complete.

Andrew McNamara, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads said the roadworks were part of the Accelerated Road Rehabilitation Project (ARRP) that will see 71km of the Dawson Highway upgraded, seven timber bridges replaced and additional overtaking lanes constructed between Calliope and Rolleston.

Since August 2006, the ARRP-Central Queensland team have upgraded all private property accesses and intersections and prepared the highway for rehabilitation between Biloela and Banana, with close to half of the task now completed on this section.

“Construction crews are finishing around 3km of the Dawson Highway each week, and in terms of road rehabilitation, the project is ahead of schedule at this time,” Mr McNamara said.

“In the last two months, crews have also completed a majority of preparation works on the highway east of Biloela, ready for major rehabilitation works to commence early in the new year.

“I’d like to thank motorists for their patience when passing through project worksites over the past months.”

ARRP-Central Queensland Project Manager, Daniel Ford, said the bridge construction crews had also been working to a schedule and were looking to minimise any disruption to highway traffic.

“We are close to completing both Zamia and ClovernookCreekBridges west of Moura, but unfortunately will just miss having them ready for traffic over the Christmas close-down period,” Mr Ford said.

While sidetracks are in place over the close-down period, speed restrictions will apply with the section of highway signed at 60km/h.

Closer to Calliope, works at Double Creek Bridge have started, with the new bridge being constructed on a new alignment.

“Because construction of the new bridge at Double creek does not affect highway traffic at this time, there will be no speed restrictions on this section over the Christmas period.

“At Deep Creek however, 10km west of Calliope, a single lane sidetrack with 40km/h speed limit is operational and will be controlled by traffic signals while the new bridge is built,” Mr Ford said.

Media inquiries: Robert Hoge 3237 1942