Construction continues on the Bruce Highway upgrade between Caloundra Road and the Sunshine Motorway, with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack and Federal Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace in town to inspect the site of Australia's first diverging diamond interchange.
Mr McCormack said the diverging diamond interchange would bust congestion and improve travel times.
"Diverging diamond interchanges are an innovative engineering design with real congestion-busting benefits in the face of growing traffic volumes," Mr McCormack said.
"This interchange is only one part of the Australian Government's $10 billion Bruce Highway Upgrade Program, which aims to improve safety, flood resilience and capacity along the entire length of the highway."
Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey said planning for additional, future highway upgrades to service the Sunshine Coast's growing population was starting to ramp up.
"Design has started on a project to widen the Bruce Highway from four to six lanes between Caboolture-Bribie Island Road and Steve Irwin Way, while early works for the Maroochydore and Mons Road interchange upgrades are expected to start soon," Mr Bailey said.
"Early works have also started on the Cooroy to Curra Section D upgrade, which will see 26 kilometres of new four-lane, divided highway constructed east of Gympie."
Federal Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace said the projects would improve safety and reduce travel times along the highway from Brisbane to north of the Sunshine Coast.
"Sunshine Coast residents can be assured we have funding locked in and well-developed plans to improve the key road that connects their communities," Mr Wallace said.
"About 65,000 vehicles travel on the Bruce Highway each day between Caboolture and Steve Irwin Way, so that project in particular will significantly improve safety, flood resilience and capacity on the highway between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast."
Federal Member for Fairfax Ted O'Brien said the projects would transform the Bruce Highway, keeping pace with growth and unleashing the economic capacity of the region.
"These projects also mean hundreds of jobs on the Sunshine Coast, locking in a construction pipeline of major works that will continue well into the next decade," Mr O'Brien said.
"It's an exciting time for the Sunshine Coast."
All projects are jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments on an 80/20 basis.
