Construction on Section A (Cooroy to Curra) of the Bruce Highway will be fast-tracked to start in in the middle of next year, continuing the Federal Labor Government's work to build a better, safer Highway.
The $790 million upgrade of Section A between Cooroy to Curra involves the upgrade and realignment of approximately 13 kilometres of the Bruce Highway south of Gympie and will be funded on a 50-50 basis by the Federal Labor Government and the Queensland LNP Government.
At just over three quarters of a billion dollars, this is a big project that will deliver smoother and safer driving conditions for the 20,000 motorists who use this section of the Highway every day.
Section B, which is officially finished today, was delivered both on time and significantly under budget and I am pleased to be back on the Bruce Highway to announce that the Federal and State Governments are partnering up to now see work on Section A progress as quickly as possible.
The new funding for Section A is part of the unprecedented capital works program we commissioned shortly after coming to office in 2007. Indeed, the Federal Labor Government is now investing more than $3.1 billion into the Bruce Highway, which compared to the former Howard Government’s record is more than twice as much in half the time.
The $790 million upgrade will deliver:

• Duplication of the existing two lane highway between the existing Cooroy

Southern Interchange and the proposed Cooroy Northern Interchange;

• Construction of a new four lane highway to be located west of the existing Bruce highway between the proposed Cooroy Northern Interchange and Sankeys Road;


• An upgrade of the Cooroy Southern Interchange;


• Construction of a new grade separated Cooroy Northern Interchange;


• Replacement or the provision of new bridges/structures at six locations; and


• Provision of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) consistent with the Managed Motorways Policy.