Bruce Highway (Ingham – Innisfail), Smiths Gap, construct southbound overtaking lane and fauna overpass

The department has built a southbound overtaking lane and fauna crossing at Smiths Gap on the Bruce Highway.

The new overtaking lane will improve safety, capacity and travelling conditions on the state-controlled road network. 

The new fauna crossing links critical corridors of known cassowary habitat in the Smiths Gap Cassowary Corridor.

The department continues to work closely with the Cassowary Recovery Team as part of the Smiths Gap project to identify ways to reduce the risk of cassowary road strikes.

In October 2020, the department completed a Cassowary Conservation Management Plan to identify strategies for reducing conflict between cassowaries and motorists. The plan was developed with input from cassowary advocate groups and relevant government partner agencies through the Cassowary Recovery Team. View the Cassowary Conservation Management Plan.

Benefits

  • Improves safety
  • Increases capacity
  • Improves network efficiency
  • Increases traffic flow
  • Better road access
  • Reduces travel time
  • Contributes to regional growth

Key features

This project has upgraded the Bruce Highway at Smiths Gap with:

  • a new southbound overtaking lane
  • a new fauna crossing to link critical corridors of known cassowary habitat in the Smiths Gap Cassowary Corridor. 

Funding

This project is fully funded by the Australian Government under the Bruce Highway Overtaking Lane Program. Investment ID 9351

Total investment
$40.724 million
Australian Government
$40.724 million

Current status

Construction started in July 2020.

TMR completed additional slope stabilisation work on batters adjacent to the Queensland Rail corridor and rail infrastructure in mid-2023.

Construction was completed in March 2024.

The southbound overtaking lane is open for road users.

 Smiths Gap Ingham, construction

  Image of Smiths Gap.