The Federal and Queensland Government has revealed the Gympie Bypass is now open to traffic, meaning heavy vehicles no longer need to travel through Gympie.
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The $1.162 billion project will cut travel times, improve motorist safety, access and flood immunity.
The project has constructed a new 26-kilometres, four-lane divided highway between the existing Bruce Highway interchange at Woondum, just south of Gympie, and Curra, including three new interchanges at Flood Road, Gympie Connection Road and Curra, as well as 42 new bridges at 23 locations.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese the Government recognise the importance of upgrading the Bruce Highway, which is why they have committed almost $1 billion to the project.
“This vital infrastructure project has been a long time coming for the locals and visitors who travel throughout the Gympie region,” he says.
“This is the culmination of 15 years’ worth of construction on the 62-kilometre Bruce Highway upgrade between Cooroy and Curra, and it is wonderful to see motorists will now be able to reap benefits of a completed Gympie Bypass.”
Over the next couple of weeks and months, the Gympie community will begin to see the positive impact of fewer heavy vehicles, while freight efficiency will be improved.
Motorists can still also access Gympie from the Old Bruce Highway via the interchange at Woondum and from Curra in the north.
Transport minister Catherine King says the Gympie Bypass opening to traffic is a monumental achievement by the Australian and Queensland governments.
“This stretch of highway will improve safety, flood resilience and capacity for motorists as well as meet the transport needs of the Gympie and Sunshine Coast communities well into the future,” she says.
“We know how important continued investment in major infrastructure upgrades is, and that’s why in this year’s Federal Budget we allocated a further $467 million towards several projects along the Bruce Highway like the Gympie Bypass to ensure they get delivered for Queenslanders.”
It is the final section of a 62-kilometre Bruce Highway program of works between Cooroy and Curra, totalling $2.549 billion.
Construction of the overall Cooroy to Curra program began in September 2009.
While major construction for the bypass is finished, there will be some intermittent works over the next few weeks while the crew finishes some minor activities on the connections at either end of the new highway.
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