The Waverley Creek rest area on the Bruce Highway near St Lawrence is set to have a major overhaul as part of an $18.5 million package of works beginning in August.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese and Queensland Minister for Main Roads Craig Wallace said the works were part of improving the Bruce Highway for Queenslanders.

“As part of the Gillard Labor Government’s Bruce Highway Safety Package (Round Two) we are addressing the lack of safe, modern roadside facilities along this critical section of the national road network,” Mr Albanese said.

“Truck drivers and the thousands of other users of the Bruce Highway will soon have more safe places to pull over and take a break.

“The Federal Government is working shoulder-shoulder with the State Government to deliver a better Bruce Highway.”

Queensland Minister for Main Roads Craig Wallace said it was important to ensure that heavy vehicle drivers and travellers had safe places to pull over and rest.

“We’ll be constructing a new heavy vehicle rest area at Waverley Creek with enough parking for 14 b-double vehicles,” Mr Wallace said.

“The existing rest area facilities will be upgraded with rehabilitation and sealing of the road surface, constructing parking areas, upgrading toilets and installing lighting,” he said.

“In addition to this, we’re rehabilitating and sealing 26km of road shoulders on three sections of the Bruce Highway between Granite Creek and Freshwater Creek, as well as upgrading the access to the rest stop area,” he said.

“At the moment, work is programmed to start in August and is expected to take until mid-2012 to complete, weather permitting.”

Approximately 300-400 vehicles use this rest area each week