Bruce Highway upgrade design on public display in Townsville

The final design for a project to upgrade 3km of the Bruce Highway between Woodlands Shopping Centre and Veales Road will go on public display this month.

Main Roads Minister Warren Pitt said the display would show the community what the project would look like, ahead of construction starting in December this year.

The final design follows community input from the late 2006 public displays of the project's concept plans, with feedback used to develop the project's design.

The two-day display will be held on 16–17 November at St Anthony's Catholic College, Veales Road, Deeragun.

“The project includes an overpass of the railway line and existing highway, for traffic travelling to and from Mt Low Parkway, two new two-lane bridges over Stoney Creek, and upgrading of the Veales Road intersection,” Mr Pitt said.

"An exit from Woodlands Shopping Centre to the highway is also provided.”

Mr Pitt said changes had been made to other project features to improve the project.

“They include closing off the Svenson Road access to the highway,” he said.

“Main Roads is working with Thuringowa City Council and developers to make other arrangements for traffic from this area to access the highway.

“Reducing the number of direct accesses to the highway will improve safety.

"Simplifying the existing highway's intersection with Veales Road and Svenson Road will also make this section safer.

"There is, therefore, no need to re-locate the Veales Road intersection, as previously planned, because Svenson Road will no longer access the highway directly.

"The Veales Road intersection will still be upgraded to a ‘seagull’, or gull wing, intersection, to improve safety, as shown at the public display last year, but will remain at its current location."

“A seagull intersection allows turning traffic to safely enter the intersection and merge with through traffic on the highway, without the need for traffic lights.”

Mr Pitt said the section between Mt Low Parkway and Veales Road would have one lane northbound and two lanes southbound, rather than the originally planned two lanes northbound and one lane southbound.

“The change was made because traffic data shows there is a higher traffic volume southbound during peak hours,” he said.

“The Mt Low Parkway-Veales Road section will not be part of the highway in the longer term, once section four of the ring road is built, which could occur in the next 10 to15 years.”

Construction of the upgrade is expected to finish in April 2009.

Mr Pitt said the public display would also show Main Roads' preliminary planning for section four of the ring road.

“Main Roads will also be seeking public feedback on two options for this section of the ring road – whether the ring road should overpass Geaney Lane or vice versa,” he said.

Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819