Warrego Highway (Additional Funding)

Project Description

This project will upgrade the Warrego Highway, addressing safety issues and traffic congestion along the highway.

The Ipswich (Dinmore) to Toowoomba (Helidon Spa) section of the Warrego Highway falls below modern safety standards, with a high average fatal crash rate of between three and 10 times that of a contemporary motorway standard. In addition, there is low flood immunity along this section of the highway, which significantly affects freight productivity and access for passenger movements.

The Warrego Highway is Queensland’s principal east-west freight route. The section between Ipswich and Toowoomba is the gateway to western Queensland and connects Darwin and Melbourne to the Port of Brisbane. Strong freight growth to the Port of Brisbane, together with population growth, particularly around Ipswich, will place greater pressure on the highway.

This funding builds on the $508 million allocated to 20 projects to the west of Toowoomba under the Warrego Highway Upgrade Program and $80 million allocated to the Toowoomba to Ipswich corridor under the Roads of Strategic Importance initiative. This brings the total Australian Government funding for the Warrego Highway to $888 million since 2013-14. 

Benefits

This project is expected to improve:

• road safety and reduce congestion for all road users
• connectivity between people with jobs and services, and goods with markets

Funding

The Australian Government is contributing $320 million towards this project.

Timetable

The delivery schedule will be determined in consultation with the Queensland Government.