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 major construction contract for the Bruce Highway – Pine River to Caloundra Road Smart Motorways (Stage 2) project was awarded to Seymour Whyte Constructions. Construction is expected to be completed in mid-2024, weather and construction conditions permitting.

A key feature of the project will be in the introduction of ramp signalling at the following interchanges:

Design for the upgrade was completed in August 2021. As part of the design phase, some preliminary early works activities were undertaken, including minor earth and electrical works for the installation of wireless traffic sensors at selected locations within the project corridor. These early works activities were completed in September 2021.

Anzac Avenue interchange northbound entry ramp

Anzac Avenue Interchange Northbound 

Boundary Road interchange northbound entry ramp

Boundary Road Interchange Northbound Entry Ramp 

Uhlmann Road interchange northbound entry ramp

Uhlmann Road Interchange Northbound Entry Ramp 

Buchanan Road interchange northbound and southbound entry ramps

Buchanan Road Interchange Southbound and Northbound 

Caboolture-Bribie Island Road interchange southbound entry ramp.

Bribie Island Road Interchange Southbound 

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Project layout 1

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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.