February 2025 has been proposed as the date for work to begin on the $336 million Tiaro Bypass north of Gympie in Queensland.
The project, which involves building a new four-lane section of the Bruce Highway to the east of Tiaro, is expected to be completed within two years of commencing construction.
The bypass is intended to increase the flood immunity, safety and efficiency of the Bruce Highway and remove “a significant number” of heavy vehicles from the Tiaro township.
Its long-awaited start time was revealed as part of a federal Environment Department request for public comment on the project.
The referral document from TMR Queensland, dated April 2024, stated that detailed design for the $336 million project was about 50 per cent complete.
However the proposed start and end dates could be delayed by anything from bad weather to design issues to “unforeseen community, political or project funding issues”, it says.
Detailed design work will include further investigations including environmental, hydraulics, noise, geotechnical, pavement, traffic and safety assessments.
It also involves the development of detailed road and bridge design drawings including drainage, lighting, signage, property accesses and public utility relocations, and the preparation of detailed cost estimates, construction drawings and contract and procurement documents for the construction phase.
The project is awaiting the green light on its environmental controls, after it was found that construction will “likely” have a significant impact on species including koalas, yellow-bellied gliders, and greater gliders, the Courier Mail reports.
The Bruce Highway at Tiaro contains three flood zones, variable speed limits (including a 40km/h school zone), a signalised pedestrian crossing, over 50 direct property accesses and intersections and a mix of local and through highway traffic.
TMR says that flood-related highway closures at Tiaro lead to disruption of freight and passenger traffic, with no diversion route.
“These closures have a significant impact on the national road transport network and result in the isolation of the Tiaro township during significant flood events,” they said.
“Delays at Tiaro during peak travel times result in substantial queues on the highway in both directions.”