Mackay Ring Road
The Mackay Ring Road to Bald Hill Road Connection Project delivers a significant upgrade to the Brue Highway.
Completed
Bruce Highway Upgrade Program
The Queensland Government is committed to improving the 1,671.3km Bruce Highway from Pine River to Cairns, focusing on capacity, safety, and flood resilience.
One of the key priorities of the Queensland Government is to deliver a long-term upgrade plan for the Bruce Highway.
Since July 2013, $10,107 billion in works has been delivered along the Highway, with 8 projects currently under construction, 15 in development and 13 in planning.
Key outcomes to date include:
- 175 new bridges/overpasses
- 66 new and upgraded rest areas/stopping places established
- 653km of roadside safety barriers
- 72 township entry treatments
- 255km of wide centre line treatments
- 100 new overtaking lanes
- 211 protected right-hand turns
- 99.6km of highway duplication
- 9 flood immunity upgrade projects completed.
About the Bruce Highway Upgrade Program
The Bruce Highway Upgrade focuses on the 3 priority areas during its 15-year course:
- Safety improvements to enhance the safety of the highway by implementing wide centre line treatments, intersection improvements, and safety barriers to reduce the risk of fatal and serious injury crashes for all road users.
- Flood improvements by raising bridges and approaches and enhancing flood immunity on sections of the highway that are subject to frequent flooding. Whilst it may not be feasible at this time to provide an entirely flood-free route, roads are assessed to ensure a consistent standard is provided for that specific network link.
- Capacity improvements to enhance economic opportunity through improved level of service on the highway. This is achieved through capacity improvement projects, including additional lanes, managed motorways, grade separation (separation of different flows of using physical means), and intersection upgrades.
Plan ahead in case of delays
As with any major construction program, there might be delays that could affect travel. It is advised to plan ahead and check for up-to-date details on QLDTraffic ( https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/ ) to help you plan your journey.
List of projects as at 30 April 2026
|
District / Region |
Investment name |
Status |
|
Far North |
Bruce Highway (Innisfail - Cairns), Munro Street (Babinda), upgrade intersection |
Construction |
|
Fitzroy |
Bruce Highway (Rockhampton - St Lawrence), Rockhampton Ring Road, construction |
Construction |
|
Far North |
Cairns Southern Access Cycleway, construct cycleway |
Construction |
|
Fitzroy |
Bruce Highway (Gin Gin - Benaraby), Station Creek and Boyne River, upgrade bridges |
Construction |
|
North Coast |
Bruce Highway (Brisbane - Gympie), Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue upgrade (Stage 1) |
Construction |
|
Northern |
Bruce Highway (Bowen - Ayr), Burdekin River Bridge, rehabilitation program |
Construction |
|
Far North |
Bruce Highway (Ingham - Innisfail), Dallachy Road, install floodway |
Construction |
|
Fitzroy |
Bruce Highway (Rockhampton - St Lawrence), Pine Mountain Creek to Kooltandra Road intersection, formation widening for wide centre line treatment |
Construction |
|
Wide Bay/Burnett |
Bruce Highway (Gympie - Maryborough), Tiaro Bypass, construct four lane bypass |
Development |
|
Northern |
Bruce Highway (Ingham - Innisfail), Ingham-Halifax-Bemerside Road - Cardwell Range, Bruce Highway Safety Package Tranche 2a (W111, W112 & B55) |
Development |
|
Northern |
Bruce Highway (Ingham - Innisfail) and Lannercost Street, upgrade intersection |
Development |
|
Metropolitan |
Linkfield Connection Road, Linkfield Road overpass upgrade |
Development |
|
Wide Bay/Burnett |
Bruce Highway (Maryborough - Gin Gin), Buxton Road and BP service station intersection upgrade |
Development |
|
North Coast |
Bruce Highway (Brisbane - Gympie), Gateway Motorway to Dohles Rocks Road |
Development |
|
Wide Bay/Burnett |
Bruce Highway (Gympie - Maryborough), Curra to Gunalda, various locations, improve safety |
Development |
|
Northern |
Bruce Highway (Ingham - Innisfail), Gairloch Floodway, safety improvements |
Development |
|
Mackay/Whitsunday |
Bruce Highway (Mackay - Proserpine), O'Connell River to Proserpine, upgrade flood immunity (Goorganga Floodplain) |
Development |
|
Mackay/Whitsunday |
Bruce Highway (Mackay - Proserpine), Goorganga, construct overtaking lanes |
Development |
|
Metropolitan |
Bruce Highway (Brisbane - Gympie), Gateway Motorway to Dohles Rocks Road upgrade (Stage 2) |
Development |
|
Fitzroy |
Bruce Highway (Benaraby ‐ Rockhampton), Various sections, Pavement reconstruction of high priority sections |
Development |
|
Fitzroy |
Bruce Highway (Benaraby ‐ Rockhampton), Gladstone ‐ Mt Larcom Road, intersection upgrade |
Development |
|
Fitzroy |
Bruce Highway (Benaraby ‐ Rockhampton), Gladstone ‐ Mt Larcom Road to Dart Creek Road, Overtaking lanes |
Development |
|
Fitzroy |
Bruce Highway (Benaraby ‐ Rockhampton), South of Marmor, overtaking lanes |
Development |
|
Northern |
Bruce Highway (Ingham - Innisfail), Ingham to Cardwell Range Deviation, plan and preserve corridor |
Planning |
|
Northern |
Bruce Highway (Ayr - Townsville), Burdekin Deviation, plan and preserve corridor |
Planning |
|
Far North |
Bruce Highway (Innisfail-Cairns), Innisfail Bypass preserve corridor |
Planning |
|
Fitzroy |
Bruce Highway (Rockhampton - St Lawrence), Bolsover Street, Intersection upgrade |
Planning |
|
Mackay/Whitsunday |
Mackay Port Access, Bruce Highway to Mackay - Slade Point Road (Stage 1) |
Planning |
|
Far North |
Bruce Highway, Cairns Southern Access Corridor (Stage 5), Foster Road, upgrade intersection |
Planning |
|
Statewide |
Bruce Highway Capacity Upgrade Strategy |
Planning |
|
North Coast |
Bruce Highway (Brisbane - Gympie), Buchanan Road to Caboolture - Bribie Island Road upgrade, business case |
Planning |
|
North Coast |
Bruce Highway (Brisbane - Gympie), Uhlmann Road to Buchanan Road upgrade, business case |
Planning |
|
North Coast |
Bruce Highway (Brisbane - Gympie), Redcliffe Road (Anzac Avenue) to Uhlmann Road upgrade, business case |
Planning |
|
North Coast |
Bruce Highway (Brisbane - Gympie), Redcliffe Road (Anzac Avenue) to Uhlmann Road, construct additional lanes |
Planning |
|
Wide Bay/Burnett |
Bruce Highway (Maryborough – Gin Gin), Walker Street intersection improvement, planning & preconstruction |
Planning |
|
Fitzroy |
Bruce Highway (Benaraby - Rockhampton), Gavial - Gracemere Road to Burnett Highway, capacity upgrades |
Planning |
|
Fitzroy |
Bruce Highway (Benaraby ‐ Rockhampton), Bajool, pavement reconstruction |
Planning |
17 Projects in Bruce Highway Upgrade Program
Burdekin River Bridge, rehabilitation program
The department is undertaking the rehabilitation and maintenance program for the Burdekin River Bridge to preserve the structural integrity of the bridge. The ongoing program will ensure a safe and durable crossing is maintained for the long-term use of vehicles, heavy transport operators, rail operations, bicycle riders and pedestrians.
Bruce Highway (Brisbane - Gympie), Anzac Avenue to Uhlmann Road upgrade, business case
An upgrade is planned for the Bruce Highway from Anzac Avenue, North Lakes to Uhlmann Road, Burpengary.
Bruce Highway (Brisbane - Gympie), Buchanan Road to Caboolture-Bribie Island Road upgrade, business case
An upgrade is planned for the Bruce Highway from Buchanan Road, Morayfield to Caboolture-Bribie Island Road, Caboolture.
Bruce Highway (Brisbane - Gympie), Uhlmann Road to Buchanan Road upgrade, business case
An upgrade is planned for the Bruce Highway from Uhlmann Road, Burpengary to Buchanan Road, Morayfield.
Bruce Highway (Brisbane-Gympie), Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue upgrade (Stage 1)
The department is delivering staged upgrades to manage increasing traffic demands on this section of the Bruce Highway. Stage 1 includes extended north-facing ramps from Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue.
Bruce Highway (Gympie – Maryborough), Tiaro Bypass, construct bypass
The Queensland Government is improving flood immunity, safety, and efficiency of the Bruce Highway and future-proofing the road to cater for growing traffic volumes. The Tiaro Bypass will also remove a significant number of heavy vehicles from Tiaro township, improving safety and liveability for residents.
Bruce Highway (Ingham - Innisfail), Dallachy Road, install floodway
The Queensland Government is progressing an $18 million project to upgrade the Bruce Highway at Dallachy Road, near Tully, to improve flood immunity on this section of the highway.
Bruce Highway (Ingham – Innisfail), Gairloch Floodway, improve safety
The Queensland Government is delivering an upgrade of the Bruce Highway at Gairloch Floodway to enhance safety and flood resilience along this complex and flood-prone section of the highway. Key improvements include road realignment, wide centre line treatment, and removal of a sharp curve to improve traffic flow and reduce flood-related disruptions.
Bruce Highway (Innisfail - Cairns), Innisfail Bypass, plan and preserve corridor
The Queensland Government is progressing a $9 million planning and corridor preservation project for a potential bypass around Innisfail.
Bruce Highway (Mackay – Proserpine), Goorganga overtaking lanes
Planning is underway for around 2km of overtaking opportunities and upgrades to pavement and lighting at the Gunyarra Road intersection.
Bruce Highway (Pine River - Cairns), Road Operations Improvements
This project has been completed and provides Intelligent Transport System infrastructure at various locations along the Bruce Highway between Pine River and Cairns.
Bruce Highway (Rockhampton-St Lawrence), various locations, upgrade bridges
The Bruce Highway is a critical link for Queensland, connecting coastal and regional communities from Cairns to Brisbane. Safety upgrades have been completed at Twelve Mile Creek bridge and John Murphy Bridge.
Bruce Highway (Rockhampton–St Lawrence) and Bolsover Street, upgrade intersection
Planning for the Bruce Highway and Bolsover Street intersection upgrade in Rockhampton will investigate safety and capacity improvements between the Neville Hewitt Bridge and Cambridge Street.
Linkfield Road Overpass upgrade
The Queensland Government is committed to improving road safety, reducing congestion, and supporting the growing needs of the Bald Hills community.
Mackay Port Access, Bruce Highway to Mackay - Slade Point Road (Stage 1)
The proposed Mackay Port Access will provide a direct link for freight movements from the Mackay Port to the Mackay Ring Road, and west to the Bowen Basin coal fields via the Walkerston Bypass and Peak Downs Highway.
Mackay Ring Road
The Mackay Ring Road to Bald Hill Road Connection Project delivers a significant upgrade to the Brue Highway.
Rockhampton Ring Road
The Rockhampton Ring Road is a transformative project for the Bruce Highway, designed to support future economic growth and deliver key benefits such as improved flood resilience, freight efficiencies, reduced travel times and enhanced road safety.
