Highway project to boost jobs

ABOUT 50 jobs are expected to be created from planned works on the Bruce Highway between Townsville and Ingham.

Townsville MP Scott Stewart said four intersections would be upgraded as part of the work.

This will be done at Catastis Rd, Scrubview Rd, Jourama Falls Rd and Yuruga Rd.

Mr Stewart said a 450m service road parallel to the highway would be built to manage access to several properties, while new north and southbound overtaking lanes would be built between Little Gin Creek and Water View Creek.

“This is about stimulating the economy and continuing to build roads so that we can keep jobs across Queensland going,” he said.

Mundingburra MP Coralee O’rourke said work on major roads was important for driver safety.

“This work between Hechts Rd and Easter Creek will provide about 50 important jobs for people,” she said.

Mr Stewart said tenders were expected to be awarded by June with work on track to start in August.

As part of the Haughton River Floodplain project, more than 600 people have been inducted to the site, with 80 per cent of them living within 125km of the project.

More than 90 per cent of subcontracts for the project have been awarded to businesses within 125km of the site.

The projects form part of the 15-year Bruce Highway Upgrade Program, a $12.6 billion program of works to improve safety, flood resilience and capacity from Brisbane to Cairns funded by the federal and Queensland governments.