Bruce Highway – Pine River to Caloundra Road Smart Motorways (Stage 2)

The Bruce Highway - Pine River to Caloundra Road Smart Motorways (Stage 2) project will deliver additional Smart Motorways technology along a 60km section of the Bruce Highway between the Pine River and Caloundra Road.

This will further expand the network of Smart Motorways technology that has been operating on the Bruce Highway southbound between Uhlmann Road and the Pine River since 2015.

Smart Motorways technology manages traffic in real-time to reduce stop-start travel, improve safety, and offer more reliable travel times.

Smart Motorways technologies can include ramp signals, variable speed limit and message signs, vehicle detection systems and CCTV cameras. These systems work together to deliver safer, smoother, and more reliable travel times for motorists.

Benefits

  • Improves safety
  • Improves network efficiency
  • Reduces peak hour congestion
  • Reduces travel time
  • Contributes to economy
  • Contributes to regional growth

Key features

  • Ramp signals at highway entry ramps to manage traffic entering the highway.
  • Variable speed limit signs to notify motorists of speed limit changes in response to an incident or changes in road conditions.
  • Variable message signs to communicate with motorists about changes in road conditions.
  • Vehicle detection systems that capture data to enable the operation of Smart Motorways technology.
  • CCTV cameras to monitor real-time traffic conditions.

Funding

The project is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments on an 80:20 basis. Investment ID 371378

Total investment
$105 million
Australian Government
$84 million
Queensland Government
$21 million

Current status

The business case was completed in November 2020. Detailed design for the Smart Motorways Stage 2 project, was completed in August 2021. Construction is due to commence in early 2022, weather and construction conditions permitting.

As part of the detailed design phase some early construction activities were undertaken including minor earthworks and some electrical works required for the installation of wireless traffic sensors (WTS) at selected locations on the Bruce Highway and at strategic locations on other parts of the adjoining network. These WTS use Bluetooth technology that anonymously identify individual cars as they pass a sensor location to monitor travel times, traffic flow and speed.  These additional sensors will provide the coverage and resolution necessary to accurately monitor the performance of the highway in real time.

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Project video

Video Transcript

The Bruce Highway is a vital artery for Queensland and a nationally-significant freight corridor.  This is why the Australian and Queensland Governments are rolling out Smart Motorways technology at priority locations.

Along a 60 km stretch of the Bruce Highway between Pine River at Caboolture and Caloundra Road. The project will complement Smart Motorways Stage 1 technology installed southbound on the Bruce Highway between the Pine River and Uhlmann Road in 2015.

The project will utilise a range of Smart Motorways technology to proactively monitor and respond to traffic conditions in real-time on this section the Bruce Highway such as

  • Ramp signals which use traffic signals at highway entry ramps during peak periods to manage traffic entering the highway and helps reduce congestion at merge points
  • Variable speed limit signs which notify motorists when speed limits have changed in response to changing road conditions and 
  • Variable message signs which display information in response to traffic congestion, incidents or bad weather.

These technologies will work together to pro-actively manage the highway as one connected network –

  • Helping to improve safety
  • Reduce stop-start travel and
  • Provide more predictable travel times for road users.

This technology has already been delivered at various locations around South East Queensland including the Gateway, Pacific and Logan motorways - as well as parts of the Bruce Highway which has been effective in reducing rear-end crashes and providing more predictable travel information for motorists during peak travel times.

Smart Motorways Stage 2 technology will be delivered in conjunction with three Bruce Highway Upgrade projects, the – 

  • Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway,
  • Caboolture-Bribie Island Road to Steve Irwin Way Upgrade,
  • and at the Deception Bay Road Interchange

Smart Motorways will allow the pro-active management of the South East Queensland road network in real-time - enabling motorists to safely travel where they want to go, more reliably.

The funding for this $105 million project is being delivered under an 80:20 federal and state funding arrangement, with the Australian Government contributing $84 million and the Queensland Government contributing $21 million.