Proposed solution announced for Bruce Hwy & Walker St intersection upgrade

Critical safety upgrades will soon be carried out at the Bruce Highway and Walker Street intersection in Maryborough, following the announcement of a proposed solution for this notorious section of the road.

A new dual lane, four-leg roundabout is set to be built to replace the intersection, including access to Showgrounds Road, to improve safety while limiting impacts on the vital function of the Bruce Highway as a key transport corridor.

The roundabout is going to be constructed without land resumption and will be largely off the existing road to minimise the impact on the local community as well as traffic on the Bruce Highway.

The proposed upgrade will maintain a 60km/h speed limit on the Bruce Highway at this location, and all-access movements and local connectivity for those travelling to and from Maryborough will also be preserved.

“This upgrade is about making one of Maryborough’s most dangerous intersections safer for everyone who uses it.

“We made a commitment to the Maryborough community and the freight and trucking industry, and we’re getting on with the job of delivering it.

“Best of all, this will minimise the impact on motorists during construction, and one it is completed, it will maintain access for local drivers while delivering meaningful safety improvements for locals and users of the Bruce Highway,” Member for Maryborough John Barounis said.

This project is a key election commitment by the Crisafulli Government, addressing the major community concern that was ignored by the former State Labor Government during their decade of decline.

Construction on the new roundabout is anticipated to begin in 2027.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads will continue to refine the design of this project while, at the same time, progressing other long-term upgrades to the Bruce Highway through the $9 billion Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program, which is jointly funded by the Australian Government on an 80:20 basis.

As part of this process, community and key stakeholder input will be sought to help address transport infrastructure needs in this rapidly growing and economically important area of Queensland.

“We made a promise to deliver safety upgrades to this notorious intersection, and we’re getting on with delivering it.

“Before the election, I stood with John Barounis at the Walker Street intersection and told the Maryborough community we’d act on their safety concerns – and now we are doing exactly that,” Premier David Crisafulli said.

“Throughout their decade of decline, Labor neglected community concerns about this intersection.

“We took a calm and methodical approach to planning, and – as a result – this is a far more comprehensive upgrade and will deliver better safety outcomes for the community.

“We will now get on with the detailed design so we can get shovels in the ground as soon as possible,” Acting Minister for Transport and Main Roads Sam O’Connor said.

Source: Queensland Government – Media Statements; ABC News; Big Rigs; Queensland Government – Department of Transport and Main Roads