Mackay Ring Road
The Mackay Ring Road to Bald Hill Road Connection Project delivers a significant upgrade to the Brue Highway.
Walkerston Bypass
The Walkerston Bypass is a new 2-lane rural highway connecting Peak Downs Highway west of Walkerston to the Mackay Ring Road near Paget.
The new Walkerston Bypass is the designated heavy vehicle route for B-double and other multi-combination vehicles, including A-double road trains, between the Bruce Highway and the Peak Downs Highway.
Benefits
- Improves safety
- Increases capacity
- Improves flood immunity
- Contributes to economy
- Contributes to regional growth
- Improves network efficiency
Key features
- A new bridge with improved flood immunity over Bakers Creek.
- 3 new road overpasses above the local cane railway network.
- Re-directs heavy vehicles away from local schools, retail and medical facilities in Walkerston.
- Removes heavy vehicle and local traffic interactions through Walkerston.
- Direct route for heavy vehicles required by Bowen Basin coal producers.
- Extends the life of a 74-year-old bridge, adjacent to a school yard.
- Reduces congestion through Walkerston.
- Integrates with existing works on the Peak Downs Highway–Eton Range Upgrade and Mackay Ring Road (Stage 1).
Funding
The project was jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments.
Investment ID 455240
- Total investment
- $268 million
- Australian Government
- $181.83 million
- Queensland Government
- $86.17 million
Current status
Completed in July 2025.
Key milestones
- September 2020: tenders for construction called
- October 2020: detailed design completed
- March 2022: construction started
- December 2024: main alignment opened to traffic
- Late-July 2025: construction completed.
Walkerston Bypass location map
