The design of a $19 million safety improvement project for the D'Aguilar Highway between Sandy Creek and Kilcoy is now complete.
The project is part of the Australian and Queensland governments' $415 million infrastructure investment response to COVID-19. Early works are already underway, with construction expected to start later this year.
As part of the Australian Government's nationwide Targeted Road Safety Works initiative, $19 million will be spent to improve overall safety on the D'Aguilar Highway and reduce the potential for head-on, rear-end and run-off road crashes.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said one life lost on Australian roads is one too many.
"That's why the Australian Government has committed $500 million nationwide for Targeted Road Safety Works, in addition to $3 billion for the nationwide Road Safety Program," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
"We are committed to keeping our communities safe, while securing our economic recovery.
"This package supports infrastructure construction jobs across Queensland by delivering projects and priority safety works to help the economy as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic."
"This announcement is another example of the Federal Government working to reduce the number of Australians missing around the dinner table due to tragedies on our roads," Mr Buchholz said.
"This project is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments with $15.2 million committed by the Australian Government and $3.8 million by the Queensland Government, and will support local jobs and businesses, while delivering lasting infrastructure to areas like Sandy Creek, Kilcoy and Wamuran."
Queensland Assistant Minister for Regional Roads Bruce Saunders said the project reinforces the Queensland Government's commitment to make the state's roads safer.
"The D'Aguilar Highway is a key link between the Bruce Highway and Yarraman, and an important connector for rural businesses and communities," Mr Saunders said.
"This particular section is used by more than 7,800 vehicles every day and in the last 10 years, there have been 33 reported crashes.
"This project will focus on road safety improvements including road widening to accommodate wide centre line treatment, which provides additional separation between vehicles travelling in opposite directions.
"Works will also include building wider road shoulders, extending and replacing culverts, and installing safety barriers at key locations."
Senator for Queensland Paul Scarr said the roadworks, which included re-surfacing and widening, safety barriers and signs along the highway east of Kilcoy through Sandy Creek and further east from Arnolds Road North, would be welcomed by locals, businesses and truck drivers.
"These are potentially life-saving upgrades for all road-users, including bike-riders and pedestrians, particularly along the section used by heavy trucks to access Searles Garden Products and the Kilcoy Pastoral Company abattoirs near Winya Road," Senator Scarr said.
Other works undertaken on the D'Aguilar Highway in recent years include:
- $6.3 million for road resurfacing and rehabilitation works on four sections of the highway from the Caboolture Bypass to just north of Bracalba Quarry, completed in June 2021
- In July 2021, TMR completed road rehabilitation and intersection modification works on the section through Kilcoy. The reconfigured intersections at either end of Mary Street will improve traffic flow through the town.
- Safety treatments including wide centre line will be delivered as part of a state-funded, $12 million, project along a four-kilometre section of the highway between west of Lord Lane at Moodlu and the township of Wamuran.
- Design is complete for road rehabilitation and $1.25 million intersection safety improvement works along a four-kilometre section from just west of Kilcoy-Beerwah Road to just west of Stony Creek Road, Stony Creek.
- In late 2019, TMR completed $7 million in rehabilitation works along 3.4 kilometres of the highway at Stony Creek, from just east of Eaton Lane to just east of Mary Smokes Creek Road.
- A safety improvement project was also completed in late 2018, east of Woodford, and included building an overtaking lane, as well as upgrading Ironbark Drive and Chambers Road intersections with the highway.
- Funding of $650,000 was allocated to undertake high-level corridor planning along the highway between Caboolture Connection Road (King Street) in Moodlu and Kilcoy-Beerwah Road in Woodford. This planning started in 2019 and has identified potential future upgrades on this section to address anticipated traffic growth.
