UPGRADES IN THE WORKS
A NORTH Queensland MP says upgrades to a horror stretch of road are essential after a young woman became the fourth person in 10 months killed on a notorious area of highway north of Townsville.
Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto, who was shaken by the death of a 20-yearold woman at Black River on Tuesday night, said he would push to ensure a $107 million road upgrade to the killer stretch went ahead as planned.
The multimillion-dollar funding was announced by the federal and state governments in January after petitioning from the family of another victim, Kurt Philpots, who was killed in December.
A 48-year-old woman died in the same two-car crash as Mr Philpots just three weeks before Christmas. A 36-year-old Mount Louisa man died in the same area in July when he tried to overtake a truck.
The young Brisbane woman becomes the fourth person to be killed on the stretch of highway in 10 months.
Townsville District has recorded six road deaths since the start of this year.
Mr Philpots’s father, Craig Philpots, has been behind the petition for road upgrades and remains closely involved in the process.
He said the balls were rolling on the upgrades and he looked forward to the work being completed next year.
The proposed upgrades will add another two lanes to the 5.2km section of the Bruce Highway between Veales Rd and Pope Rd, including another bridge.
The road is currently a single lane in either direction and caters for an average of 14,000 vehicles a day at a speed limit of 100km/h.
Mr Dametto said the upgrade, to be known as the Townsville Northern Access Intersections Upgrade, would mean safer travel for all.