Why Townsville needs roads designed for real life
Road safety isn’t just a slogan, it’s a responsibility, for safer outcomes, we have to design and engineer for the way North Queensland actually lives, works, and moves.
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Across Queensland’s coastal regions, towns that were once quiet communities are transforming into bustling centres. Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Bundaberg, these cities are growing rapidly, with more people commuting for work and freight volumes climbing as industries expand. But with only a single train line stretching north from the Sunshine Coast, the Bruce remains the lifeline that connects it all.
As populations rise, so too does the demand for infrastructure that can keep pace. Reliability, safety and resilience are essential. Road users want to know they’ll reach their destination without delays, detours or dangerous situations. That means getting ahead of the curve now, by designing roads that can handle the growth of tomorrow.
Aurecon's Nathan Guild, Principal, Roads – QLD Transport.
Over my 25 years of living and working in the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay Burnett region, I’ve seen this future-proofing firsthand. And I’ve seen how quickly things can change for the better.
When I first started driving up to Bundaberg for work, or Rockhampton to visit my parents, the Bruce was a very different road. Several sections in particular stand out for their transformation. Back in early 2000s there were a lot of fatal crashes near Cooroy. Around the Black Mountain section, the infamous large hill, its sweeping bend had vehicles regularly spinning out.
This section was just one of many on the drive to Gympie that were known blackspots. High speeds, tight bends and narrow lanes where the centre line left you within centimetres from oncoming traffic, or that is at least what it felt like. Road trains thundering past, their slipstream rocking your car as you dodged potholes. Darkness that seemed deeper for the lack of lighting, made more stressful by kangaroos darting across the bitumen. Add in caravans or trucks struggling on long hills, impatient drivers taking risks, and only a handful of safe overtaking opportunities, it was the perfect storm.
Getting ahead of the curve now, by designing roads that can handle the growth of tomorrow.
Fast forward to today, and the transformation is clear along these stretches. In the past 15 years, many projects have been undertaken, which included the upgrade of the Bruce from the Sunshine Coast through to Curra and various safety treatments and upgrades scattered along the highway as you head north. Wider centre lines, overtaking lanes, crash barriers, audio tactile line markings, clearer signage and better pavements have brought greater confidence to drivers. We always look forward to the trivia signage along the roadside, they’re great for keeping you focused and warding off tiredness, but it’s the safety treatments such as a wide centre line treatments between lanes and intersection upgrades, that have fundamentally changed the driving experience for the better.
I’ve been involved in a number of projects across this region, all focussed on safety improvements and future-proofing the road network for projected growth. Seeing the evolution has had an impact on my view of how high-quality design of roads directly links to improved reliability and safety. Once you put these treatments in, road users know what they can do and when they can do it. They can see signage clearly, they know when they can overtake, they know they have time and space. The long-term benefits too are important, especially for future-proofing this growing region. Future-proofing means not just upgrading what exists, but designing with tomorrow’s needs in mind, from safer overtaking opportunities to improved flood immunity, and even infrastructure upgrades like increasing electric vehicle charging locations to keep pace with how people travel.
Local knowledge makes all the difference here. Having driven this road for decades, I know the pinch points, the frustrations, and the progress we’ve made. That experience, combined with Aurecon’s technical expertise, helps us bring lived experience into the solutions that achieve the best outcomes. To design roads that reflect how people really use them and ensure the Bruce Highway continues to evolve as a safer, more reliable backbone for Queensland’s growth.
Road safety isn’t just a slogan, it’s a responsibility, for safer outcomes, we have to design and engineer for the way North Queensland actually lives, works, and moves.
With over 30 years of lived experience in Far North Queensland, Andrew Wright brings unique local insight to every Bruce Highway project he helps design.
Reflecting on Queensland’s 2011 and 2013 floods, disaster recovery work in Gladstone highlighted that roads are more than infrastructure, they are lifelines, vital for reconnecting communities, supply chains and essential services.
In North Queensland, the Bruce Highway is a lifeline and local knowledge is what makes it safer, stronger, and more reliable for every journey.
