The Federal Government has committed to spending $3.3 billion on upgrading and improving the Bruce Highway, a highway that has recently come under fire for the number of heavy vehicle accidents that occur on this stretch of road every year.
According to the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese, in his press release at http://anthonyalbanese.com.au/the government is dedicated to improving the safety of the Bruce Highway.
Here is what he had to say about the upgrades:
Around the town of Howard work is now underway on another package of improvements to the Bruce Highway, which includes new overtaking lanes and the removal of two dangerous black spots.
As part of this $13 million, fully-Federally funded package, new north and south-bound overtaking lanes are being installed between Howard and Torbanlea. Once completed later this year, these new 1.2 kilometre lanes will give motorists yet another opportunity to pass slower moving vehicles safely.
We are also building new dedicated right and left-turn lanes at the intersection between the Bruce Highway and William Street and Howard Heights Road as well as with Lower Thomas Road. In addition, the existing southbound deceleration lane into William Street will be realigned and lengthened.
These measures will allow motorists to exit the Highway safely and without disrupting the flow of traffic along it.
Funding for these upgrades is coming from the Federal Labor Government’s Bruce Highway Safety Package, the first ever program dedicated to eliminating black spots, installing new rest stops and building additional overtaking lanes. Already this initiative is:
Installing 50 new overtaking lanes;
Fixing over 100 dangerous black spots between Caboolture and Cairns;
Building some 24 new rest areas and stopping places as well as upgrading a significant number of existing rest areas.
In total Federal Labor has committed an unprecedented $3.3 billion to maintaining and upgrading the Bruce Highway. In fact compared to the Howard Government, we are spent more than twice as much in about half the time.
Source: http://anthonyalbanese.com.au/bruce-highway-another-package-of-works-underway
With heavy vehicle accidents and subsequently fatalities still at unacceptable levels, especially where mining booms have increased heavy vehicle traffic, these type of road improvements are essential to assist the regulations in improving safety for these workers in the supply chain.
