The Warrego Highway in Queensland will have three more upgrades to be funded, and this brings the total number of upgrades to 18 as part of the $635 million Warrego Highway Upgrade Program.
Seven from the initial 15 projects under the program have already been completed and due to contractor efficiencies as well as a competitive tender process, savings from the initial 15 work packages have been returned to fund further upgrades on Warrego Highway.
“Some sections of the Warrego Highway are still below acceptable safety standards, which is why the Government is investing in targeted, priority upgrades such as road widening, pavement strengthening, intersection upgrades and new overtaking lanes,” Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said.
Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey added: “Thanks to cost efficiencies in delivering the existing package of 15 upgrades, additional works will now be able to proceed on the Carroll Creek Culvert Replacement project, along with further upgrades between Dalby and Miles and between Oakey and Miles.”
The Carroll Creek Culvert Replacement project will remove the need to impose a load limit on this section of the highway. This project will also reduce maintenance cost and help improve productivity for key regional industries and road freight operators that the highway serve.
“This is about making our network safer for locals, truckies and tourists. We want people getting home sooner and safer,” Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud said.
Further upgrades to the highway between Dalby and Miles will include pavement widening, audio tactile line markings as well as wider centrelines to reduce the risk of head-on collisions at this section of Warrego Highway.
In addition, Stage 2 of the Oakey to Miles Safety Upgrade project will comprise of building new rest stops and removing dangerous drop-off at the edge of the road and roadside hazards that can be fatal in the event of run-offroad crashes.
“The Warrego Highway is a key highway that provides vital access for our agricultural producers to marketplaces in Brisbane and along the coast,” Queensland Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said.
The three additional upgrades have a total value of approximately $80.19 million, which is being jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments, each committing $64.15 million and $16.04 million respectively.
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Source: Queensland Government; Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development