Eumundi Voice - Issue 99, 8 August 2024

COMMUNITY

Gympie Bypass Community Open Day

A Community Open Day is planned for 17 August to celebrate the Bruce Highway upgrade from Cooroy to Curra – also known as the Gympie Bypass. Anyone who travels regularly to Gympie will know this upgrade has been a long time coming.

Now is your chance to walk a 5km stretch from the Flood Rd interchange in advance of the opening of the new section of highway to traffic in late 2024. Walk during 11am-4pm with food stalls and entertainment along the way.

The $1.162B Gympie Bypass is jointly funded with the Australian Government committing $929.6M and the Qld Government $232.4M. Qld Minister for Transport and Main Roads Bart Mellish said, “Since the start of construction in October 2020, over 6 million cubic meters of earth has been shifted from cuts to fill areas and 43 bridge structures have been built along the new section of Bruce Highway.”

The upgrade aims to reduce long-distance traffic through Gympie with around 50% fewer heavy vehicles, and to reduce head-on crashes by providing a 4-lane highway, significantly reduce road closures at times of flooding and improve travel times. Visit: tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/ bruce-highway-cooroy-to-curra.