Infrastructure Australia (IA) has given the green light to the development of billions worth of Bruce Highway and M1 Pacific Motorway upgrades in Queensland. These projects have been included in the Infrastructure Priority List as Priority Projects for the State.
“Being included as a Priority Project on the Infrastructure Priority List shows that a proposal has undergone a rigorous business case assessment and been proven to have significant benefits for the community. This supports better project selection by ensuring Australia’s governments are presented with the best available evidence when making funding decisions.
“Responding to the challenges of growth and capacity constraints on Queensland’s infrastructure network is a common theme in the latest additions to the Infrastructure Priority List, with improving travel times and road safety a particular focus as congestion increases on key freight and passenger routes,” Infrastructure Australia Chief Executive Romilly Madew said.
The projects now included in the Infrastructure Priority List are the Bruce Highway - Edmonton to Gordonvale project, and the M1 Pacific Motorway - Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill and Varsity Lakes to Tugun upgrades.
“These major projects have now passed IA’s rigorous business case assessment, confirming their many potential benefits for Queenslanders in terms of busting congestion and delivering safer roads,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said.
The Bruce Highway project will include upgrading the highway to four lanes and the delivery of service roads between Edmonton and Gordonvale. These will help bust congestion as well as improve travel times and make travelling on the Bruce Highway safer.
Mr McCormack said that the Federal Liberal and Nationals Government has invested approximately $384.8 million towards the Bruce Highway upgrade.
“...we are working closely with the Queensland Government to ensure that our combined investment will deliver on the project’s key objectives of improving safety and access,” Mr McCormack added.
Upgrades to the M1 Pacific Motorway between Eight Mile Plains and Daisy Hill will include widening 8.5 kilometres of the northbound section and improvements to local busways. This will enable the motorway to accommodate 25 per cent more traffic and, at the same time, relieve congestion.
In addition, the upgrades on the M1 Pacific Motorway between Varsity Lakes and Tugun will include widening both sides of the motorway at the section that links northern New South Wales to the Gold Coast.
“The Federal Liberal and Nationals Government has a total of $1 billion on the table to fund these two priority upgrades on the M1. It is pleasing to receive IA’s endorsement for these investments, which will make life easier and safer for Queenslanders going about their day-to-day lives,” Minister for Population, Cities and urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said.
Construction on the M1 Pacific Motorway projects is anticipated to commence in mid-2020, while initial work on the Bruce Highway upgrade is expected to begin in early 2020.
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Source: Infrastructure Australia; Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure; Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development