New interchange works show progress on Section D

As work progresses on the $1 billion Cooroy to Curra Section D Bruce Highway upgrade, a new interchange will be built at Penny Road, East Deep Creek, Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien announced today.

A section of Penny Road at East Deep Creek will be closed for approximately 18 months from next week, to allow for works including construction of new sections of Penny Road, and connections to the new Bruce Highway alignment and interchange.

“Traffic may be disrupted with reduced speed and lane closures, and there will be traffic controls in place to assist drivers, cyclists and other road users,” Mr O’Brien said.

“While we can expect some small inconveniences throughout the construction of the Cooroy to Curra Section D Gympie Bypass, this is a once-in-a-generation project that will save countless lives on the Bruce Highway and will stand to benefit our region for decades to come.

“This world-class standard, four-lane highway will transform Wide Bay’s economy, generating almost 600 jobs in the short term and opening our industry, agriculture and manufacturing sector to new markets, supporting their long-term prosperity.”

The project is being managed by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, with a Bielby BMD joint venture awarded the tender for upgrades from Woondum through to Veteran.

Access to local properties will be maintained throughout the construction, and local residents will receive construction notices from the State Department of Transport and Main Roads to keep them up-to-date on the works.

Construction vehicles like tippers, trucks and trailers and heavy haulage trucks will be using local roads in the East Deep Creek area, and some noise can also be expected.

The Bielby BMD joint venture will also build 23 of the 42 bridges that are a part of the Section D project, including at the Woondum, Penny Road, and Gympie interchanges.

Construction will begin soon on these bridges, with earthwork machinery and equipment including piling rigs and cranes starting to move into place for the bridge works.

The $1 billion Cooroy to Curra – Section D project is jointly funded by the Australian Government contributing $800 million and the Queensland Government $200 million.