Bruce delays expected Works part of highway safety upgrades

TRAVELLERS can expect delays of as long as 10 minutes due to new road works beginning on the Bruce Highway north of Ingham.

The works between Ingham and Cardwell are part of the Department of Transport and Main Roads disaster recovery works after the 2019 North and Far North Queensland monsoon. A department spokesperson said works would be carried out on several roads over the coming months, including north and south of Ingham, and in and around the town.

The works will continue until early October, weather and construction conditions permitting.

“Works north of Ingham are being undertaken by FKG and include rebuilding and sealing damaged sections of the highway between Kingsbury Creek Bridge and Seymour River Bridge,” the spokesperson said.

“While we aim to minimise impact on road users, delays of up to 10 minutes can be expected, as can temporary lane closures and speed restrictions, in order to ensure the safety of motorists and road workers.”

The spokesperson said preliminary works, as part of the $29.2 million Bruce Highway safety upgrades between Hechts Road and Easter Creek, south of Ingham, had begun.

“In the next few weeks we will complete pre-construction survey activities, implement environmental controls and clear vegetation, ahead of works next month.”

The safety improvements will include widening 7.3km of road, upgrading four Bruce Highway intersections with local roads to improve safety, including Jourama Falls Road, and installing north and southbound overtaking lanes between Little Gin Creek and

Waterview Creek.

The spokesperson said upgrades at the Bruce Highway and Jourama Falls Road intersection would include the installation of dedicated turning lanes for all traffic turning into Jourama Falls Road.

“As the intersection will now be within the overtaking lanes, motorists will no longer be able to turn right from Jourama Falls Road onto the Bruce Highway (towards

Townsville),” the spokesperson said. “They will instead need to travel north to Yuruga Road, perform a U-turn at a dedicated turning facility on the side road and, when safe to do so, merge back into southbound traffic towards Townsville.”

The spokesperson said while every effort would be made to minimise the impact on road users, “motorists should adhere to changed conditions, including lower speed limits, narrowed lanes, width restrictions, detours and some delays”.