The long-awaited Gatton decoupling facility will be open for business shortly, confirms the Department for Transport and Main Roads (TMR).
A TMR spokesperson told Big Rigs that works are close to completion with the Queensland facility due to open for use later this month, weather permitting.
The facility allows heavy vehicle drivers to reconfigure their combinations to conform to national regulations before continuing their journey east.
When the Toowoomba Bypass opened in 2019, Type 1 road trains and Performance Based Standards (PBS) Level 3A networks were extended to the eastern side of the Gatton interchange.
A temporary short stay Road Train Transfer Facility was developed at the Gatton interception site on the Warrego Highway to help accommodate trailer transfers until a new permanent facility could be built.
Once the permanent facility is complete, the temporary facility will revert to its previous function as an interception site.
Key features of the new site include:
- 30 parking bays
- No time limits for trailer parking
- Reduced travel times and distance
- Option to decouple on either side of the Toowoomba Bypass
The site will be monitored via CCTV and will be clearly sign-posted advising drivers that penalties apply for dumping onsite.
Once the facility is operational, dropping off trailers at temporary facilities or any other non-formal site will not be permitted along the Warrego Highway east of Toowoomba.
Prime movers required for transporting trailers east of the Gatton Heavy Vehicle Decoupling Facility may change direction using either the:
- Gatton-Esk Road overpass: restricted to Type 1 combinations, PBS Level 3A combinations up to 36.5m and HML mass limits
- College View overpass: restricted to vehicles and combinations at Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Regulation mass limits and up to 19m long only
Site restrictions include no:
- restroom or recreational facilities
- dumping of industrial waste (tyres, batteries, and so on)
- camping allowed
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