New England Highway (Toowoomba-Warwick) Hodgson Creek to Cambooya Connection Road – options analysis

This planning project involved investigating ways to improve safety and efficiency on the New England Highway between Hodgson Creek and the southern side of Cambooya Connection Road.

The department focused on improving levels of efficiency, safety and resilience of the highway. This section of road was identified due to intersection safety risks, a lack of overtaking opportunities, deficiencies in pavement width, the need for wide centre lines and a deteriorating road surface.

Benefits

  • Improves safety
  • Increases capacity
  • Improves network efficiency
  • Increases traffic flow
  • Reduces peak hour congestion
  • Better road access
  • Reduces travel time
  • Contributes to economy
  • Contributes to regional growth
  • Reduces maintenance
  • Improves ride quality

Key features

The project considered options including:

  • road widening and installing a wide centre line to improve the separation between vehicles travelling in opposite directions and reduce the risk of head-on crashes
  • wider road shoulders to allow through traffic to overtake turning vehicles
  • longer merging lanes to allow traffic to reach sufficient speed before entering the highway
  • road surface upgrades
  • reducing the speed limit
  • intersection upgrades at Ramsay Road and Cambooya Connection Road.

Funding

This project was fully funded by the Queensland Government.

Total investment
$300,000
Queensland Government
$300,000

Current status

We have investigated existing and potential infrastructure needs to inform an options analysis for future construction funding.

How the department engaged

The department consulted with the community, property owners and key stakeholders during the planning phase through:

  • social media
  • online consultation, including an interactive map and survey
  • information flyers
  • property owner and stakeholder meetings
  • site and property visits.

What you told us

Feedback on social media and online consultation highlighted the community’s safety concerns:

  • near misses at intersections (64%)
  • risky driver behaviour (60%)
  • rough road surface (54%)
  • vehicles drifting across the centre line (32%).

The respondents ranked suggested improvements in order of safety benefit:

  • intersection upgrades
  • overtaking lanes and longer merging lanes
  • road widening
  • road resurfacing
  • wide-centre line treatment.

Additional feedback suggested:

  • improving lighting, installing a dual carriageway and other general road upgrades (36%)
  • reducing the speed limit (16%)
  • wider verge for bike riders (16%)
  • increasing safety at intersections (12%)
  • upgrading the entrance to the service station, merging lanes and line-marking (12%)
  • increasing the length of turning and merging lanes (8%).

There is currently no funding for design or construction.