Date and toll revealed
The Toowoomba Second Range Crossing will open in September
IT’S been over 50 years in the works, now finally we know when the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing will open.
Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the crossing would open to motorists on September 8.
“The true benefit will be seen only if people use the toll road, that is why we’ve made sure tolls are kept at a reasonable level and the road is accessible to everyone,” Mr Bailey told Estimates yesterday.
It will cost motorbikes $1.15 to use the crossing, cars $2.30, light commercial vehicles $5.70 and all trucks $22.85.
Mr Bailey said all vehicles over 4.5 tonnes, with the exception of buses, motorhomes and caravans would have to use the new road instead of the old Toowoomba Range, except for vehicles travelling to the Warwick area via the New England Highway, or delivering goods to Toowoomba.
“This will remove as many trucks from local streets as possible,” Mr Bailey said.
“We will also build a breakdown pad at Gatton to enable road trains to get closer to Brisbane before breaking down.
“Works are to be completed in August and it will be open on September 8.”
The toll point for the crossing is located at Cranley, east of the Mort Street Interchange.
The Toowoomba Second Range Crossing has been a long time coming, with the need for the road initially raised in the 1960s.
Planning got serious in the early 2000s with the State Government acquiring land and holding consultations on the route of the road.
Joint funding from the State and Federal Government was then announced in 2014, with construction on Australia’s largest regional road project beginning in 2016.
The construction was plagued with issues, with geotechnical problems pushing the late-2018 opening back to this year. Mr Bailey also had to shut down works on the project last year due to a high number of plant rollovers.
Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts welcomed the date and toll announcement.
“(Freight and logistics) companies now have the certainty they need,” he said.