150 Bruce Highway upgrades underway or completed to get Queenslanders home sooner and safer

A total of 150 Bruce Highway upgrade projects are now in planning, construction, or have been completed, under a record $9 billion investment into boosting safety on the spine of the State.

Two flood-prone sections in North Queensland designed to prevent flooding and road closures are the latest to start construction.

The Gairloch Floodway to Ripple Creek section of the highway is being widened and drainage improved, while the Ingham-Halifax-Bemerside Road and Carwell Range section is being widened.

These sections of the highway have experienced closures due to flooding in the past, including three days in February where drivers lost access to the Seymour River bridge and Gairloch floodway.

The Queensland Government’s focus on building Queensland’s future includes improving road safety and flood resilience to get Queenslanders home sooner and safer.

The Gairloch Floodway to Ripple Creek will be one of two sections in North Queensland where construction has now begun to upgrade the Bruce Highway.

The first stage of works between Gairloch and Ripple Creek is jointly funded with the Federal Government under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. Other Bruce Highway upgrades are being funded jointly with the Federal Government under 80:20 funding arrangements through the Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program.

Jess Guandalini of Herbert River Bus Service welcomed the upgrades after her business had been impacted by flooding.

“With flooding, if we do get the children to school, we monitor that road during the day because if there’s any closures, we need to ensure that we are able to get the students back home,” she said.

“If the students don’t go to school, we don’t get an income either.”

Ms Guandalini said parts of the Bruce Highway also posed a safety issue for drivers and passengers.

“The narrow bridges are a concern for us as well,” she said.

“We as a company are very happy, as I’m sure the other locals are as well, to see the upgrades happen.”

For more information, visit Bruce Highway safety upgrades (Department of Transport and Main Roads)

Last updated:

29 October 2026