More work for the Bruce

26 NOVEMBER 2015: Work is set to begin on constructing two overtaking lanes on the Bruce Highway between Proserpine and Mackay, with a contract for the $7 million project being awarded to Doval Constructions. These construction projects on the Bruce Highway are bringing jobs and economic growth to the region. The jobs and wages that will come into the region are a welcome boost to the local economy in the short term and in the long term, a more efficient Bruce Highway keeps the economy on the move and more productive.Doval Constructions will construct a southbound overtaking lane at Kitty Creek, 10 km north of Kuttabul, and a northbound overtaking lane at Carey’s Creek, 7km south of Calen. The Liberal National Government’s commitment to fully fund these works will provide for major safety and efficiency gains on this stretch of the Bruce Highway. Overtaking lanes are a great way to address some of the safety and capacity constraints currently experienced on some sections of the Bruce Highway. These upgrades will increase capacity and allow drivers to safely overtake slower moving vehicles like trucks, buses and cars towing caravans. The new overtaking lanes will help reduce the number of risky manoeuvres drivers sometimes make to overtake these sorts of vehicles.More than 5,000 vehicles travel between Mackay and Proserpine each day and approximately 800 of these are heavy vehicles. New overtaking lanes like these not only make travelling the highway safer, they also give commercial vehicle operators the efficiency gains they need to succeed in a very competitive market place. The Liberal National Government is committed to delivering further improvements like this along the length of the Bruce Highway to ensure the economic benefits that result from a more efficient road transport system flow both to Queensland and the nation.The project is expected to commence soon, and be completed by late 2016.