The next piece of the Cairns Bruce Highway Upgrade Master Plan is taking shape, with the award of the planning contract for a $225 million upgrade of a key intersection south of Cairns in Queensland.
AECOM Australia has been selected as the successful tenderer for the planning project, with planning expected to be complete in early 2024.
The Cairns Bruce Highway Upgrade planning provides the long-term upgrade strategy for the Bruce Highway from Gordonvale to Draper Street, near the Cairns city centre. The project has considered urban growth within the southern corridor over 30 years.
The $225 million stage five of the Cairns Southern Access Corridor, Foster Road intersection upgrade will improve traffic flow, safety and ease traffic congestion.
This follows the previous stages of the project which completed upgrades to Sheehy Road to Kate Street (stage one), Robert Road to Foster Road (stage two) and upcoming upgrades to Edmonton to Gordonvale (stage three) and Kate Street to Aumuller Street (stage four).
Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said preparing Cairns for population growth was an essential park of the Cairns Bruce Highway Upgrade Master Plan.
“We want every Queenslander to get home safer and sooner, which is why we continue to invest in important projects for the Far North region and along the Bruce Highway,” Mr Bailey said.
Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch said the project complemented other road projects currently underway in the region.
“Since 2013, the Australian Government has committed to delivering more than $14 billion in regional road improvements across Queensland, supporting more than 30,000 jobs and boosting the economy,” Entsch said.
“These and other large-scale projects such as $40 million widening works between Ingham and Cairns have greatly reduced the risk of accidents on our roads.”
The project is jointly funded by the Australian Government ($180 million) and Queensland Government ($45 million).
For more information on the project, click here.
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- Bruce Highway upgrades complete north of Mackay
- Bruce Highway safety upgrade underway at Gootchie
- Preferred route chosen for Bruce Highway Western Alternative project