Big plans to tackle congestion on Bruce Highway

Upgrading the Bruce Highway in our region has already drawn a sharp exchange as the Federal Election campaign gets under way.

Labor said, if victorious on May 21, it would spend $200 million to widen the highway between Dohles Rocks Rd and Anzac Ave from six to eight lanes and build on-off ramps at the southern end.

However, two Federal LNP members in the Moreton Bay Region responded saying funding was already on the table for those upgrades and collector-distributor roads. Consultation had also started.

Timetable

Federal Member for Petrie Luke Howarth said Labor leader Anthony Albanese should have known more than $2 billion was in place for the stretch from Bracken Ridge to Anzac Ave.

“We are waiting on his state Labor colleagues’ timetable,” Mr Howarth said, “it’s been four years and it has just been sent out for community consultation.”

He said the Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway Upgrades (GMBHU) is a $2.1 billion project by the Federal and Queensland Governments - $1b for the Gateway and $1.1b for the highway - on an 80:20 split.

“The GMBHU will bolster the local economy and is expected to support an average of 1200 direct jobs over the life of the project,” Mr Howarth said.

On-off ramps

Federal Member for Dickson Peter Dutton said current indications were traffic will increase by about 50 per cent by 2041 on one of Queensland’s busiest road corridors.

“Without additional capacity from future upgrades, this vital section of the national highway will be heavily congested for longer periods.” Mr Dutton said.

Labor’s pledge was to prepare for a projected doubling of the current 155,000 vehicles using this stretch of highway each day.

The $200 million would also include on/off ramps at the “southern end” of the stretch from Dohles Rocks Rd to Anzac Ave.

Business case

Labor leader Anthony Albanese said it would “help locals across Brisbane’s north spend less time on the road and more time at home”.

Ali France, Labor Candidate for Dickson, said Mr Dutton had been “promising to fix the traffic issues around Dohles Rocks Rd for over 10 years and hasn’t delivered”.

The Federal Government has also announced funding for a business case on the stretch from Anzac Ave to Uhlmann Rd, which will flow to upgrades at the Deception Bay interchange.

For more on road upgrades visit tmr.qld.gov.au/projects