RACQ has backed the federal government’s recent commitment of $467 million toward vital upgrades on the Bruce Highway.
According to the insurer, this funding is crucial for enhancing a key transportation route within Queensland.
“A ‘Budget for the Bruce’ is what our members, and all Queenslanders, want to hear and thankfully we expect to see this commitment to some extent in this year’s Federal Budget,” said RACQ general manager advocacy Joshua Cooney. “The Bruce Highway is the backbone of Queensland’s economy and is a piece of nationally significant infrastructure. But there’s no denying it’s broken.”
Cooney said the funding will accelerate key projects, such as Section D of the Cooroy to Curra upgrade, Cairns Southern Access Stage 3, Linkfield Road overpass, and planning for the Pine Rivers Bridge upgrade.
He emphasised that these initiatives are essential to reducing delays and improving road safety.
Despite these improvements, Cooney highlighted the persistent challenges faced by the highway.
“Around 750km of this national highway is rated as poor and on average 29 people lose their life on the Bruce each year and more than 360 suffer serious injuries from crashes,” he said.
RACQ, which highlighted urgent safety needs on Bruce Highway, plans to maintain its advocacy efforts beyond this year’s budget.
“A safe Bruce Highway is crucial for Queenslanders’ health, livelihoods, and economic prosperity,” Cooney said. “We are still concerned about the federal government’s decision to walk away from the established 80:20 funding split with the state government for new regional infrastructure projects, and we continue our calls for this to be reversed.”
