Bruce Highway (Cooroy to Curra) Upgrade

Federal, Queensland, Australia Show map

Description

The AUD$513 million Section B project formed part of the Bruce Highway (Cooroy to Curra) Upgrade http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/B/Bruce-Highway-Cooroy-to-Curra.aspx. The project delivered a new 12km, 4-lane divided highway between Sankeys Road and Traveston Road.

Location

Bruce Highway, Cooroy to Curra. Section B Sankeys Road to Traveston Road.

Completion

Major construction commenced on Section B in September 2009 with the new highway opened to traffic in December 2012.

Benefits

Section B improves access during major flooding as well as providing improved traffic efficiency and major safety enhancements which look to reduce the likelihood and severity of head-on, run-off and intersection crashes. Also separates long distance from local traffic movements, and provides a new highway built to modern motorway standards, with the capacity to be upgraded to 6 lanes in the future.

Funding

AUD$513 million for construction work ($125 million state, $388 million federal).

Project info

Section B was the priority construction focus for the Bruce Highway (Cooroy to Curra) Upgrade. The project was delivered using a number of contracts to allow for construction to progress while the design was being progressively finalised. Features include -

  • a new grade separated interchange at Traveston to provide safe, efficient access to and from the existing road network.
  • a new road into the Mary Valley from Traveston (the Mary Valley Link Road) to improve access to the valley, particularly during periods of flooding. It also provides a safer alternative access to Traveston Crossing Road which has a history of crashes where it intersects with the Bruce Highway.
  • a realignment of the western end of Traveston Road which now connects to the new interchange. The existing intersection of Traveston Road and the Bruce Highway has been closed and turned into a cul-de-sac.
  • Physical median separation along entire length to effectively eliminate head-on risk
  • Paved shoulders and roadside safety barriers (including motorcyclist friendly barriers) to reduce severity of run-off, loss of control type crashes. The Old Bruce Highway remains as an alternative for local road users wishing to travel between Federal and Traveston.

    Star Ratings

    AusRAP have undertaken to demonstrate the reduction in road user risk that the new upgrade has delivered. The Star Ratings for the Old Bruce Highway had been produced as part of the 2013 AusRAP National Highways survey and were compared with the results of a recent survey conducted on the new alignment, with the results showing a significant improvement in the Star Ratings. Analysis has shown that the new alignment scores a minimum of 4-stars, with 20% of the length scoring a maximum 5-stars for safety. This is in comparison to the Old Bruce Highway which is predominantly a 2-star rated road at this location. Crash rates (per vkt) are expected to be significantly lower on the newly opened section.

    UPDATE >>>> Casualty Reduction

    A comparison of the reported crash data on the Old Bruce Highway compared to the new alignment show an 82% reduction in fatal and serious injuries (FSIs) from 11 FSIs in the period 2007 to 2009 to 2 FSIs in the period 2013 to 2015. Fatal and serious injuries per 100 million vehicle kilometres travelled has dropped from 5.15 (2007-9) to 0.88 (2013-15).

    Safer Roads
    Estimated cost
    Casualty Reduction
    Roadside Safety - Barriers
    Medium
    40-60%
    Median Barrier
    Medium to high
    60% or more
    Intersection - Grade Separation
    High
    25-40%
    Duplication
    High
    25-40%
    None recorded
    None recorded

    Safer Roads

    Safer Roads
    Estimated cost
    Casualty Reduction
    Roadside Safety - Barriers
    Medium
    40-60%
    Median Barrier
    Medium to high
    60% or more
    Intersection - Grade Separation
    High
    25-40%
    Duplication
    High
    25-40%

    Safer Vehicles

    None recorded

    Safer People

    None recorded

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    Treatment Summary

    Costs
    US$400 million
    Treatment life
    20 years
    Casualty Reduction
    82%

    Related Crash Types

    Related Road Users

    References

    http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/B/Bruce-Highway-Cooroy-to-Curra.aspx

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