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Toowoomba Second Range Crossing
Project Details
The Australian Government has committed up to $1.285 billion towards the Toowoomba Second
Range Crossing in southern Queensland, a vital new link bypassing Toowoomba to the north, from the
Warrego Highway at Helidon in the east, to the Gore Highway at Athol in the west.
The new link will provide a far superior range-crossing for freight vehicles to the existing Warrego
Highway range-crossing, which will remain open for standard vehicles.
The contract for delivery of the project is expected to be awarded in mid-2015 with the successful
contractor ultimately responsible for the design, build, operate and maintain phases of the project.
At a Glance
Project: Toowoomba Second Range Crossing
Distance: 41 kilometres (approximate)
Cost: $1.6 billion
Total Commonwealth contribution: up to $1.285 billion
Timeframe: Construction is expected to commence late-2015.
Jobs: More than 1,800 jobs are expected to be supported during construction.
Benefits
The existing Toowoomba range crossing consists of steep grades and tight curves, unsuitable for
freight vehicles. The route also requires traffic to pass through the Toowoomba town centre and the
associated 18 sets of traffic lights.
The bypass will provide an alternative route and assist in managing the increasing traffic volumes in
Toowoomba, improving amenity for Toowoomba residents through the removal of a large percentage
of heavy vehicles.
The project will also provide productivity benefits for freight traffic, particularly heavy vehicle
movements to the Port of Brisbane, which will avoid traffic lights in Toowoomba and benefit from a
much improved road alignment across the range.
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The project will help drive Queensland and Australia’s economic growth by supporting jobs and
providing a gateway to the state’s resource-rich Surat Basin and the agricultural food bowls of the
Darling Downs.
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