The $1.162 billion Gympie Bypass has opened to motorists.
The 26km section of four-lane divided highway runs between the existing Bruce Highway interchange at Woondum, just south of Gympie, and Curra.
It is the final section of the $2.549 billion Cooroy to Curra Bruce Highway upgrade, following a 15-year construction schedule.
The opening of the Gympie Bypass means motorists will no longer need to drive through the 53 intersections, including nine sets of traffic signals, along the existing highway, and is expected to reduce the number of trucks travelling through Gympie by about half.
The bypass includes three new interchanges – at Flood Road, Gympie Connection Road and Curra – along with an upgrade to the existing interchange at Woondum.
The bypass has 42 new bridges at 23 locations over waterways, local roads and the North Coast Rail Line. All of the bridges have been designed to withstand a one in 100-year flood.
The project was jointly funded by the Australian Government, which committed $929.6 million, and the Queensland Government, which contributed $232.4 million.
It was delivered by Bielby and BMD Joint Venture, CPB Contractors and GHD and Aecom Joint Venture.
This Gympie Bypass part of the project alone has supported 570 jobs during construction.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish heralded the opening of the road.
“This has been a massive construction project for Queensland and will improve safety for all users of the Bruce Highway,” he said.
“While the final section has been challenging to deliver during COVID and extensive flooding in 2022, it’s a testament to the commitment of the contractors, the Transport and Main Roads project team and the entire Gympie community that it is now open.
“Safety on our roads is a priority for the Miles Labor Government and we will continue investing in safety on our regional roads and national highways.”
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