The first phase of consultation for a western alternative to the Bruce Highway between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast is now complete, with the preferred route for stage one of the project now selected.
The alternative road connection to the west of the Bruce Highway will help boost the capacity of the local road network and reduce congestion.
Three options were investigated for the corridor an eastern, a central, and a western option. The central option has been identified as the preferred alignment for the Bruce Highway Western Alternative corridor.
Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the preferred alignment would offer “more opportunities for local road connections”.
“The central alignment starts at the D’Aguilar Highway and travels south towards Caboolture River Road, staying close to the existing power easement,” Bailey said. “The corridor will provide for future interchanges and allow local roads to pass over or under the new road.”
“Connections will link with locations that support public and active transport, the future town centre, key employment areas and health and education facilities.”
Future stages of the route will include stage two, south of Caboolture West from Moorina to Narangba. Consultation is expected to start for stage two early next year, with public already able to provide early feedback for future stages.
Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Peter Flannery said with a city the size of Mackay expected to call Caboolture West home in coming years, the demand for roads in the region would only grow exponentially.
“We might’ve won the bid to host the Olympic Games in 10 years’ time, but the demand for infrastructure is happening now,” he said. “The Bruce Highway is the spine of Queensland’s Road network and Moreton Bay is positioned at its most critical point, which is why it’s vital we build a road that takes local traffic off this major freight route.”
“If you get an alternative road up, you can take local traffic off the state’s biggest highway and accommodate the 70,000 people that’ll be moving here.”
This consultation was part of the $20 million study underway on the North Brisbane Bruce Highway Western Alternative project, with $10 million each being committed by the Federal and Queensland governments to the investigations.
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