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  • Cunningham Highway (Ipswich – Warwick), 2020 Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements reconstruction works
  • South Coast Region
  • Natural Disaster Program
  • Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements
Location
Cunninghams Gap, Cunningham Highway, Tarome
Timing
Construction is expected to finish early to mid-2027
Status
Construction
Aerial image of Cunningham Highway at Cunninghams Gap

Cunningham Highway (Ipswich – Warwick), 2020 Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements reconstruction works

The department is committed to restoring the damaged section of the Cunningham Highway at Cunninghams Gap. This 2km stretch, leading up to the Allan Cunningham monument, suffered significant road damage during the bushfires in 2019.

Situated within the Main Range National Park, that is part of the esteemed Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area, the project demands meticulous management to safeguard the surrounding environment. The department's team has faced unique challenges posed by the complex topography, requiring extensive design work, including geotechnical and structural assessments, before initiating the reconstruction process.

Benefits

  • Restores damaged infrastructure
  • Contributes to economy
  • Contributes to regional growth

Key features

  • Install rockfall protection drape mesh.
  • Reduce the steep road grade at the top of the crest to provide a smoother ascent at the final bend of the highway with fewer breakdowns.
  • Construct foundations, posts, and fencing to catch falling rocks at road level.
  • Construct an emergency stopping bay around 1km east from the Allan Cunningham Monument and 2 emergency stopping bays near the crest carpark.
  • Construct 7 retaining walls on the downslope section of the road.
  • Construct 4 soil nail walls either side of the road at the crest.
  • Install Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and monitoring systems replacing and constructing additional concrete barriers.
  • Install wide centre line treatments to increase separation of opposing traffic.
  • Install guardrail with rubrail for motorcyclist safety.
  • Works at the West Gap Creek picnic area.
  • Pavement works.

Cunninghams Gap reconstruction project key features flythrough video

Transcript

[Opening scene: A map of Southern Queensland appears with on-screen text “Cunninghams Gap Reconstruction Project”.]

[Background music plays]

[Key locations appear with labelled locations of Warwick, Cunninghams Gap, Gold Coast, and Brisbane.]

[Map zooms in to show labelled locations of Tregony, Main Range National Park and Aratula.]

[A blue line representing Cunningham Highway appears, highlighting a 2.3km section of the project site. Arrows show the directions to Warwick and Ipswich/Brisbane.]

[Map zooms in to an animation of Cunninghams Gap showing the road with moving traffic.]

[Pop-up picture appears to highlight key features with on-screen text: "CCTV and monitoring systems" and "Rockfall signage".]

[Animation returns, moving further up the highway highlighting rockfall fencing and retaining wall with on-screen text: "Rockfall protection fencing" and "Retaining walls on the downslope".]

[Pop-up picture appears to highlight key features with on-screen text: "CCTV and monitoring systems".]

[Animation continues, moving further up the highway highlighting wide median lane with on-screen text: "One lane in each direction with wide median for safety".]

[Pop-up image appears with on-screen text: "Solar lighting".]

[Pop-up image appears showing an emergency stopping bay with on-screen text: "Emergency stopping bay".]

[Animation returns, moving further up the highway highlighting wide median lane again with on-screen text: "One lane in each direction with wide median for safety".]

[Animation moves up the highway, highlighting Gap Creek with on-screen text: "Gap Creek".]

[Pop-up image shows Gap Creek Bridge with on-screen text: "Gap Creek Bridge".]

[Animation shows rockfall protection and on-screen text: "Rockfall protection draped mesh".]

[Animation continues up the highway, highlighting a reduced road gradient near the Allan Cunningham monument. On-screen text: “Road grade reduction”. The monument location is then highlighted with on-screen text: “Allan Cunningham Monument”.]

[Animation highlights 2 emergency stopping bays with trucks parked. On-screen text: "Emergency stopping bay”.]

[The carpark is located on the right side of the emergency stopping bays. Animation highlights the median safety treatment. On-screen text: “Median safety treatment to prevent right turns into the car park” and “Carpark”.]

[Animation continues up the road past the carpark, highlighting a future pedestrian crossing with animated green lines and two people waiting to cross. On-screen text: “Pedestrian crossing for walking tracks”.]

[Closing scene: On-screen logos appears – "Delivering for Queensland", “Australian Government” and “Queensland Government” are shown.]

[Search bar graphic appears with icon and text: "Cunningham Gap Reconstruction". Footer on-screen text reads: "The recovery works are jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA)".]

Cunningham Highway (Ipswich – Warwick), 2020 Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements reconstruction works project location map

Map showing the location and identifying the project’s start and end points, extending west towards Warwick and east towards Ipswich and Brisbane. 
This map outlines the key features and locations of the Cunninghams Gap Reconstruction Project. It highlights the reconstruction area, which includes the installation of rockfall protection draped mesh, rockfall protection fencing, and rockfall signage. Additionally, the map identifies works near the crest carpark, such as the realignment of the pedestrian crossing to walking tracks located west of the crest carpark.

Reconstruction project design features

test
The map highlights reconstruction design features including:
  • 2 emergency stopping bays near the crest carpark to improve safety
  • median safety barrier to prevent right turns at the crest
  • reduced steep road grade at the crest, completed in September 2024. This helps heavy vehicles climb the final bend more smoothly with fewer breakdowns.
Alt Text: Map showing the project features of the Cunninghams Gap Reconstruction Project, including two emergency stopping bays near the crest carpark, a median safety treatment to prevent right turns at the crest, and the reduced grade at the steepest part of the road at the crest.
The map highlights reconstruction design features including:
  • emergency stopping bay located approximately 1km east from the Allan Cunningham Monument
  • rockfall protection fencing to enhance safety
  • slope stabilisation measures to reduce landslide risks
  • CCTV monitoring systems for improved surveillance
  • wide centre line treatment to reduce head-on collision risks
  • wider traffic lanes and road shoulders to improve safety and accommodate vehicle breakdowns.
test
The map highlights reconstruction design features including:
  • solar lighting to improve visibility and safety
  • rockfall protection fencing to enhance safety
  • crews completed over 90 helicopter lifts to transport materials, allowing them to scale and stabilise the upper sections of the slopes above the highway.

Funding

The recovery works are jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Current status

Construction work is continuing with ongoing traffic changes. For the latest traffic and travel information, please check QLDTraffic ( https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/ ) ( https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/ ) ( https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/ ) ( https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/ ).

Significant progress has been made in restoring the 2km bushfire-damaged section of Cunninghams Gap. This includes:

  • removal of loose and unstable rocks from the slope above the road
  • installation of rockfall protection drape mesh
  • works at the West Gap Creek picnic area
  • reduction of the steep grade at the top of the crest.

Works are currently underway to:

  • install foundations, posts and fencing to catch falling rocks at road level
  • replace and construct additional concrete barriers
  • install CCTV and monitoring systems
  • construct downslope retaining walls
  • construct soil nail walls.

Community feedback

The community is invited to meet the project team to ask questions and learn more about the project. Upcoming sessions will be held at the locations below.

Tuesday 19 August 2025

  • 9–11am at the Aratula Community Sports Centre, Carter Road Aratula QLD 4309.
  • 12 noon to 2pm at the Maryvale Community Hall, 33 Taylor Street Maryvale QLD 4370.

Extensive engagement was undertaken with the freight, agriculture, tourism and construction industries, as well as local businesses and neighbouring communities to gain an understanding of travel movements.

The engagement approach included information sessions at:

  • Aratula and Warwick in March 2023
  • Aratula and Boonah in April 2023
  • Stanthorpe in May 2023
  • Maryvale, Stanthorpe, Warwick, Aratula and Kalbar in September 2023.

The information provided by industry and the community was very valuable and resulted in a review of some elements of the project to minimise impacts to road users.

Location of Cunninghams Gap

Cunninghams Gap is situated in Main Range National Park, between the peaks of Mount Cordeaux and Mount Mitchell. It is located near Tregony in the Southern Downs region immediately beside the boundary to Tarome in the Scenic Rim Regional Council area. The area is a popular location for tourists and locals, with many scenic walking trails located within the National Park.

Purpose of the project

The project aims to repair a 2km section of the Cunningham Highway at Cunninghams Gap, which was extensively damaged by severe bushfires in 2019. The highway serves a significant role in transporting people and freight to and from Brisbane and the Port of Brisbane from the west. The bushfires caused slope damage resulting in rock and debris falling onto the highway and increased the likelihood of rock falls, posing a danger to road users.

Changes to the original design

Repair works on several fronts have been underway since late 2022. Due to safety and constructability challenges associated with the original design, we commissioned a partial redesign with a continued focus on stakeholder feedback and reducing ongoing closures of the highway. The redesign means this project can be delivered without the need for ongoing full road closures, which would have had significant impacts on communities and industries.

The Cunningham Highway range ascent at Cunninghams Gap will provide an uphill overtaking lane of 6.5km long that provides an opportunity to overtake heavy vehicles and slow-moving vehicles.

The project will deliver road safety and efficiency improvements:

  • reducing the steep grade of the road at the crest
  • a wide centre line treatment, wider traffic lanes and road shoulders to improve road safety for vehicle breakdowns
  • an emergency stopping bay around 1km east from the Allan Cunningham Monument and 2 emergency stopping bays near the crest carpark.

In September 2024, the steepest grade at the crest of the road was reduced and heavy vehicles have experienced a smoother ascent at the final bend of the highway with fewer breakdowns.

Project competition date

Completion is expected in early to mid-2027.

Environmental considerations

The project acknowledges that Cunninghams Gap is situated within the Main Range National Park, that is part of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area. Meticulous management is being implemented to safeguard the surrounding environment.

Cultural heritage

Consultation has been continuous with the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) and the Aboriginal Parties the Githabul and Yuggera Ugarapul Peoples to ensure all cultural heritage values of the land are understood, protected, and respected during construction.

Support for local jobs and businesses

The project will provide opportunities for regional jobs and will support local businesses during the construction phase.

Information for heavy vehicle operators

Heavy vehicle operators can find road access and restriction information on the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator website ( https://www.nhvr.gov.au/ ) ( https://www.nhvr.gov.au/ ) ( https://www.nhvr.gov.au/ ) ( https://www.nhvr.gov.au/ ) or the Heavy Vehicle Industry Road Report, that can be viewed on the QLDTraffic website ( https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/ ) ( https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/ ) ( https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/ ) ( https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/ ).

A series of videos to help truck drivers safely navigate Cunninghams Gap ( https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCK8wjaTpQ_oqs_rQFcMAemSOpfn7DP_Q ) ( https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCK8wjaTpQ_oqs_rQFcMAemSOpfn7DP_Q ) ( https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCK8wjaTpQ_oqs_rQFcMAemSOpfn7DP_Q ) ( https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCK8wjaTpQ_oqs_rQFcMAemSOpfn7DP_Q ) throughout reconstruction was launched by the project.

Subscribe for updates and alerts 

For project updates and to receive email/SMS traffic alerts, contact the project team:

*Free call from anywhere in Australia, call charges apply for mobile phones and payphones. Check with your service provider for call costs.

Last updated: 8 August 2025