$150m splash on Bruce Hwy

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull will announce a $150 million cash splash for the Bruce Hwy in what is expected to be the first in a series of “substantial infrastructure projects” that will be part of this year’s Budget.

It will be the first day of his three-day Queensland blitz, which will include a trip to the regions tomorrow before attending the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

Mr Turnbull’s trip follows polling yesterday showing twoparty preferred support for Labor in the state had fallen by four points to 51 per cent.

A big cash splash on road and other infrastructure projects is expected for QueensBoth land in the Budget next month, which will likely be the last before the election.

Queensland will be a key election battleground state and has the three most marginal seats in the country, Capricornia, Herbert and Forde, all held with a margin of less than 1 per cent.

The $150 million will go towards fixing a notorious bottleneck on the Bruce Highway at Murrumba Downs.

It comes as the Bruce Hwy was gridlocked between Sunshine Coast and north Brisbane yesterday in Easter long weekend traffic.

It is understood Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and Petrie MP Luke Howarth lobbied hard to get the road-fix funding.

hold marginal seats and will have to fight to hold on to them at the next election, which is expected to be held next year.

The upgrade will create a northbound entry and southbound exit for the highway at Dohles Rocks Rd interchange.

Mr Dutton said the project would ease congestion to and from the Sunshine Coast and take pressure of local roads for families living in Murrumba Downs and Griffin.

It will be 80 per cent funded by the Federal Government with the state needed to chip in the remainder.

The money for the upgrade is in addition to the $530 million allocated to upgrades between Bribie Island Rd and Steve Irwin Way.