Rockhampton Ring Road plan, preserve and construct

This project is currently being reviewed and will be updated when the revised project timeline is confirmed by the Australian Government.

The objective of the Rockhampton Ring Road plan, preserve and construct project (Rockhampton Ring Road project) is to provide a western link of the Bruce Highway, extending from the Capricorn Highway (at Nelson Street) in the south, through to Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road/Bruce Highway intersection in the north. This will include a new crossing of the Fitzroy River.

The Bruce Highway is Queensland's major north-south freight and commuter corridor, connecting coastal population centres from Brisbane to Cairns over 1,677km.

The existing Bruce Highway through Rockhampton is one of the remaining pinch points between Brisbane and Cairns, with 19 sets of traffic signals to navigate.

Traffic volumes on the Bruce Highway in Central Queensland ranges from 2,600 vehicles per day in rural sections to 35,000 vehicles per day in urban centres.

It is also a key heavy vehicle route with an average of about 2,640 heavy vehicles travelling through Rockhampton daily.

Benefits

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

Key features

  • New crossing of the Fitzroy River between Pink Lily and Kawana.
  • Reduced congestion and improved safety through the city by providing an alternative route for heavy vehicles.
  • Improved connectivity to key facilities, services and precincts within the Rockhampton region.
  • Continued access to the road network during major flooding.

Funding

The Rockhampton Ring Road plan, preserve and construct project is funded through the Bruce Highway Upgrade Program. Investment ID 1167108

Total investment
$1.065 billion
Australian Government
$852 million
Queensland Government
$213 million

Current status

In March 2022, 2 proponents were selected to progress to the development phase of the collaborative project agreement, following an Expression of Interest held in November 2021 as part of the construction tender process.

Timeline

Image of timeline showing major project milestones: Concept design (mid 2020 to late 2020), Detailed design (late 2020 to early 2022), Procurement development (March 2022 to December 2022) and Proposed construction (to be confirmed)

Planning for the project is complete. The business case was assessed at the Infrastructure Australia board meeting held on 15 April 2021 and released on 7 May 2021.

The road and rail corridors were gazetted in February 2019. Resumption package 1 for the road corridor was gazetted on 17 June 2022. Resumption package 2 was gazetted on 16 September 2022, with 5 additional land parcels.

The detailed design was completed by Jacobs SMEC Design Joint Venture in March 2022.

Design

The Rockhampton Ring Road design extends from the Capricorn Highway in the south to Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road in the north, and contains both rural and urban sections of road.

A key objective of the Rockhampton Ring Road project is to improve connectivity to Rockhampton by increasing the number of access points to the city. The concept and detailed design for the Rockhampton Ring Road were developed with a high level of flood immunity, similar to a 1 in 100-year flood event and equivalent to 9.86m on the Rockhampton flood gauge in the Fitzroy River (a 1% annual exceedance probability).

The design includes a number of features such as bridges and culverts at key locations along the Rockhampton Ring Road to manage water flow and minimise the impacts of changes in anticipated flood levels as far as practicable.

The detailed design phase refined the concept design in consideration of traffic efficiency, improved safety, increased resilience to flooding, improved connectivity and accessibility, and environment and cultural heritage.

Environment

Protecting the environment and its history is an important part of the project. To ensure the Rockhampton Ring Road is designed and delivered in an environmentally sensitive manner, the department is ensuring that comprehensive environmental investigations are being undertaken, as well as consulting with a range of stakeholders.

Since planning started in 2017, extensive surveys have been conducted along the corridor including wildlife, flora, ecological and water quality monitoring.

On 10 March 2022, the department commenced public notification on the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) preliminary documentation for a 2-week period, closing on 23 March 2022. During the public notification period the department did not receive any submissions regarding the draft preliminary documentation.

Rockhampton Ring Road EPBC draft preliminary documentation

Cultural heritage

The department recognises the significance of different cultures and the importance of managing Indigenous, historical, shared and natural heritage. Engagement with the Darumbal People is a priority to ensure cultural considerations are appropriately addressed. All reasonable practical measures to avoid harming Aboriginal heritage and the conservation of places and areas entered in the Queensland Heritage Register will be taken.

Rockhampton Ring Road—overview map

Project map 

Rockhampton Ring Road—design map

Design map
View Rockhampton Ring Road - design map

Rockhampton Ring Road - visualisation

Video description

This is a visual animation of the Rockhampton Ring Road.

The Rockhampton Ring Road is a major Central Queensland infrastructure project, providing a western link of the Bruce Highway at Rockhampton.

Rockhampton Ring Road will:

  • connect commuters to priority precincts
  • offer better connections for productivity and growth 
  • provide an alternative heavy vehicle route
  • improve daily commute times 
  • improve road safety and flood resilience  

The $1 billion major infrastructure project will significantly reduce congestion within Rockhampton’s CBD. 

It will improve connectivity to important precincts and services within the region.

Rockhampton Ring Road will connect at the Capricorn Highway near Gracemere in the south, improving connectivity to industrial and residential growth areas, and resource and agriculture sectors to the west. It will also improve access to destinations like Emerald, Gladstone and Brisbane.

From the connection at west Rockhampton, road users will be able to easily access the Rockhampton airport, the defence depot, the base hospital, emergency services, the CBD, education institutions and sporting and leisure facilities.

The ring road will also include a new, third Fitzroy River crossing from Pink Lily the south, to Parkhurst in North Rockhampton.

A connection near Alexandra Street in north Rockhampton will provide key links into Parkhurst industrial and residential growth areas, retail precincts and the North Rockhampton CBD.

At Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road, road users will be able to easily access and connect with CQUniversity, emergency services, the Capricorn Coast and other tourism destinations and routes to Yeppoon and Mackay.

The Rockhampton Ring Road is connecting your region and Driving Central Queensland’s future.

To stay informed about the project, register your details at tmr.qld.gov.au/rockhamptonringroad

Rockhampton Ring Road - benefits

Video Transcript

The Rockhampton Ring Road is a major infrastructure project within the Central Queensland region, providing a western link of the Bruce Highway at Rockhampton.

As Queensland’s major freight and commuter corridor, the Bruce Highway currently sees:

  • 2600 vehicles per day in rural areas,
  • 30,029 vehicles per day in urban centres and 
  • 2640 heavy vehicles through Rockhampton daily.

Rockhampton Ring Road will:

  • connect commuters to priority service precincts
  • offer better logistical connections for productivity and growth
  • provide an alternative heavy vehicle route
  • improve daily commute times, road safety and flood resilience
  • and generate job opportunities.  

The $1 billion major infrastructure project will significantly reduce congestion within Rockhampton’s CBD. 

It will improve connectivity to important precincts and services within the region.

Rockhampton Ring Road will connect Rockhampton in the south, at Capricorn Highway near Gracemere. It will provide road users with links into the industrial and residential growth areas, and resource and agriculture sectors to the west. Also connecting and improving access to destinations like Emerald in the west, and Gladstone and Brisbane in the south.

From the connection at west Rockhampton, road users will be able to easily access the Rockhampton airport,  the defence depot , the base hospital, emergency services, the CBD, education institutions and sporting and leisure facilities.

The ring road will also include a new, third Fitzroy River crossing from Pink Lily area in the south, to Parkhurst in North Rockhampton.

A connection near Alexandra Street in north Rockhampton  will provide key links into Parkhurst industrial and residential growth areas, retail precincts and the North Rockhampton CBD.

At Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road, road users will be able to easily access and connect with CQUniversity, emergency services, the Capricorn Coast and other tourism destinations and routes to Yeppoon and Mackay.

The Rockhampton Ring Road is connecting your region and Driving Central Queensland’s future.

To stay informed about the project, register your details at tmr.qld.gov.au/rockhamptonringroad