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  • Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive), Bowen Road bridge (Idalia), duplicate bridge and approaches
  • North Queensland Region
  • State Road Network Upgrade
Location
The Bowen Road bridge is located on the Townsville Connection Road, known locally as Stuart Drive south of the bridge and Bowen Road north of the bridge.
Timing
Construction was completed in May 2026
Status
Completed
The traffic bridge begins in the bottom right of the image and extends to the top middle, crossing the waterway of the Ross River. To the left of the bridge in the top left are residential buildings and the iconic Ross River Meatworks chimney. To the right of the bridge are sporting facilities such as Townsville Basketball and Murray Sporting Complex.

Bowen Road Bridge artist impression

Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive), Bowen Road bridge (Idalia), duplicate bridge and approaches

The Bowen Road bridge duplication project is now complete, delivering significant improvements to safety, capacity and reliability for road users crossing the Ross River in Townsville.

The project delivered a new upstream bridge adjacent to the existing Bowen Road bridge, increasing the river crossing from two lanes to four lanes. The upgrade supports growing traffic demand and improves connectivity along the Townsville Connection Road corridor.

The Bowen Road bridge duplication was delivered in conjunction with the broader upgrade of Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive) between University Road and Bowen Road bridge.

Approximately 24,000 vehicles use this crossing each day. The duplicated bridge and upgraded approaches improve driveability, reduce congestion and enhance safety for all road users.

The existing bridge has been reconfigured to carry two outbound lanes, while the new bridge provides two inbound lanes, aligning with the upgraded Stuart Drive corridor.

The completed project provides a more efficient and reliable transport connection for the Townsville community and supports the region’s continued growth.

Benefits

  • Improves safety
  • Increases capacity
  • Improves network efficiency
  • Increases traffic flow
  • Reduces peak hour congestion
  • Better road access
  • Contributes to economy
  • Contributes to regional growth
  • Better active transport

Key features

  • Duplicated Bowen Road bridge adjacent to the existing bridge
  • Pavement rehabilitation at the bridge approaches
  • Lighting upgrades as well as the installation of CCTV infrastructure
  • Upgraded pedestrian and bike crossings to improve safety
  • Refurbishment of the underpass pathway, with improved connections to surrounding shared paths.

Funding

This project is fully funded by the Queensland Government. Investment ID 2419830

Total investment
$99.8 million
Queensland Government
$99.8 million

Current status 

Construction commenced in July 2024, with project completion in May 2026

Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive), Bowen Road bridge (Idalia), duplicate bridge and approaches project location map

The map shows the locality of the existing and future Bowen Road Bridge, over the Ross River, from the southern approach through Stuart Drive north through to Bowen Road, through the Townsville suburbs of Wulguru, Idalia, Annandale and Rosslea. A grey line indicates the Bruce Highway and University Road, which is bisected by Stuart Drive and the intersections of Gartrell Drive, Mervyn Crossman Drive/Fairfield Waters Drive and Kokoda Street. A solid dark blue line indicates the project area of the Bowen Road Bridge, over the river, shaded light blue.

The map shows the project is located at the Bowen Road bridge over the Ross River, connecting Stuart Drive and Bowen Road, and services the suburbs of Wulguru, Idalia, Annandale and Rosslea, indicated by the blue line.

The works complement recent completed upgrades along Stuart Drive, including the Gartrell Drive, Mervyn Crossman Drive / Fairfield Waters Drive and Kokoda Street intersections, indicated by the grey line.

Flythrough video

Video Transcript

Flythrough aerial video depicting the planned changes for the Townsville Connection Road. Video starts by heading east on Stuart Drive, while highlighting the new jointly funded shared pathways from University Drive to the Fairfield Central shopping centre. The video then shows the duplication of Stuart Drive to four lanes between University Road and Bowen Road Bridge, and the upgrade of Gartrell Drive to a signalised intersection, including a new dedicated access to the Townsville Cycle Club. The video continues along Stuart Drive and highlights the major upgrade at the Mervyn Crossman Drive, Stuart Drive and Fairfield Waters Drive intersection. This intersection which will change from a roundabout to a signalised intersection, the service road exit out of the Fairfield Waters shopping complex will be closed, and two new bus stops will be installed on Stuart Drive. The video continues east and highlights the upgrades of the Kokoda Street intersection to a signalised intersection. The video also showcases pedestrian infrastructure and bicycle lane upgrades along Stuart Drive, between University Road and Bowen Road Bridge. The video then highlights the Bowen Road Bridge duplication project, which includes a new dual lane inbound bridge next to the existing bridge, with active transport infrastructure underneath the bridge and two new U-turn lanes near Viles Street intersection.

Last updated: 22 July 2026

Related projects

Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive), University Road to Bowen Road bridge (Idalia), improve safety

The Townsville Connection Road has been upgraded to four lanes between University Road and Bowen Road bridge to improve safety, traffic flow and connectivity. The project included upgrades at three key intersections: Gartrell Drive, Mervyn Crossman Drive / Fairfield Waters Drive and Kokoda Street.

  • Northern District
  • Completed
No image supplied