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. Infrastructure 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 activities are now underway for the Smart Motorways Stage 2 project, with the design expected to be finalised in mid-2021. Construction is due to start in early 2022, weather and construction conditions permitting.

As part of the design phase, some preliminary early works activities started in early 2021. These works include the installation of Wireless Traffic Sensors (WTS) at priority locations along the 60km stretch of the Bruce Highway and at other locations of the adjoining network. WTS use Bluetooth technology that anonymously identify individual cars as they pass a sensor location, and are used 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.