Published Friday, 29 June, 2007 at 05:05 PM

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Paul Lucas

$589 million for Darling Downs and South-West roads

More than $589 million will be spent in the next five years to deliver better roads across the Darling Downs and South West.

The funding is part of the record $13.3 billion five-year Roads Implementation Program for Queensland launched today by Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Paul Lucas.

“It delivers a massive $1.75 billion, or 15% increase on last year’s program to keep Queensland moving and booming,” Mr Lucas said.

“Almost 2,500 road projects are contained in the program, including 99 new additions, to be built statewide over the next five years.

"The funding boost is even more substantial when you compare the estimated expenditure over the next five years with spending over the past five years.

“It’s a total increase of $5.3 billion over five years, or 67 per cent,'' Mr Lucas said.

“We are committed to delivering the projects that make our roads safer and help meet the needs of a growing state.

“The Darling Downs and southern region are good examples of the growth challenges facing Queensland – rapid population growth and the needs of freight movement connected to established industry such as tourism and farming.

“In addition, there are the emerging freight hubs based around the oil and gas industries.

“All up, the state and federal governments will provide a total of more than $345 million for the region’s roads over the next two years to help address those challenges,” Mr Lucas said.

Key projects funded this financial year and in the 2008-09 financial year include:

  • $23 million for road improvements to the New England Highway north of Toowoomba
  • $24.6 million to continue upgrading the Roma-Taroom Road
  • $21 million for signal upgrades, pedestrian safety improvements and four-laning short sections of Ruthven Street, Toowoomba.
  • $10.46 million to widen Millmerran – Inglewood Road
  • $10.35 million to replace the Ward River Bridge and approach roads on the Diamantina Developmental Road
  • $5.43 million in federal funding to continue work to complete the pilot tunnel and develop the Public Private Partnership (PPP) business case for the Toowoomba Bypass.

Media Contact: Darren Roberts 3237 1947 / 0448 184566