Bruce Highway (Mackay – Proserpine), Goorganga Plains, plan and preserve

The Bruce Highway upgrade project at Goorganga Plains and Myrtle Creek, near Proserpine, aims to plan and preserve the road corridor to enhance flood immunity and address access issues during wet weather events. 

To improve flood resilience in the area and reduce the impact of wet weather road closures for the community, we are taking a coordinated approach to address flood impacts at:

Benefits

  • Improves safety
  • Improves network efficiency
  • Improves flood immunity
  • Better road access
  • Contributes to economy
  • Contributes to regional growth

Key features

  • Improve flood immunity and reduce annual average time of closure of the highway at Goorganga Plains and Myrtle Creek to less than one hour.
  • Improve safety: enhancements to the road infrastructure will be designed to improve safety for motorists and other road users.
  • Improve connectivity for local community: the project will focus on creating better road connections and accessibility for the local community.
  • Support tourism: the upgraded road infrastructure will facilitate access to tourist destinations, supporting the tourism industry in the region.

The scope of works for the planning phase includes development of a business case to assess and recommend delivery options, identifying land and property requirements, securing the road corridor and associated stakeholder engagement.

This also includes investigating: 

  • a potential realignment of the Bruce Highway at Myrtle Creek
  • removal of cane haulage from the highway through the provision of service roads
  • replacement of level crossings with underpasses at Myrtle Creek.

Funding

This project is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments on an 80:20 basis. This project is not currently funded for design or construction. Planning outcomes will inform future investment decisions.

Investment ID 371124

Total investment
$15 million
Australian Government
$12 million
Queensland Government
$3 million

Current status

The business case has been finalised.

Community consultation

Community consultation closed on Friday 14 April 2023.

We would like to thank the community for their feedback.