The Bruce Highway is one of Australia’s most significant freight and passenger corridors. It is part of the National Land Transport Network and is a key component of Queensland’s domestic supply chain. Upgrades to the Bruce Highway align with the National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, which prioritises productivity, resilience and safety on key routes with rising freight volumes and climate-related disruptions. The proposal also aligns with the Infrastructure Policy Statement by focussing on upgrades to improve network resilience and safety outcomes.  

Upgrades to the Bruce Highway would improve freight reliability, reduce crash risk, strengthen flood resilience and support long‑term regional growth across Queensland. Improved connectivity along the Bruce Highway would also support continued population growth and increasing transport and travel demand associated with the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games – as outlined in the 2032 Delivery Plan. 

PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION  

The Bruce Highway upgrade proposal is a multi-decade program of staged improvements to enhance capacity, safety and resilience along Queensland’s primary north–south corridor between Brisbane and Cairns. Works include targeted safety upgrades, flood‑immunity improvements, duplication, and capacity enhancement. 

Infrastructure Australia has evaluated business cases for the following Bruce Highway projects: 

• Edmonton to Gordonvale duplication
• Maroochydore Road Interchange
• Deception Bay Road Interchange Upgrade
• Bribie Island to Steve Irwin Way
• Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway
• Mackay Ring Road Stage 1
• Tiaro Bypass
• Townsville Ring Road Stage 5
• Rockhampton Ring Road
• Haughton River Floodplain upgrade
• Goorganga and Myrtle Creek Floodplain Upgrade
• South Corridor Program: Bracken Ridge to Anzac Avenue. 

Emerging investment priorities for the Bruce Highway include: 

• South Corridor Program: Bracken Ridge to Anzac Avenue
  • Gateway Motorway to Dohles Rocks Road (Stage 2)
  • Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue (Stage 2, 3)
• Anzac Avenue to Caboolture-Bribie Island Road
• Myrtle Creek Floodplain Upgrade. 

INVESTMENT RECOMMENDATION   

The Australian Government should note this proposal (and its components) as a future investment opportunity in the 2-4 year pipeline, recognising its scale, complexity, and the need to sequence works across multiple stages. Continued planning and prioritisation are required to ensure the highest‑value upgrade works progress at the right time.  

The Australian Government has current commitments totalling over $8.8 billion for the Bruce Highway across the North, Central and South Corridor packages. In 2025, the Australian Government also committed a further $7.2 billion to the Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program to deliver safety upgrades on priority sections of the Bruce Highway with higher-than-average crash rates.  

OPPORTUNITIES AND OUTCOMES  

This proposal has the potential to: 

• Improve national freight productivity – upgrades would strengthen the performance of a nationally significant freight corridor, supporting efficient operations for agriculture, mining, manufacturing and consumer markets.
• Improve supply chain reliability and resilience – upgrades on the Bruce Highway would support reduced delays and more reliable freight movements.
• Enhance safety outcomes – targeted interventions and upgrades would help to address immediate safety concerns and reduce the number of serious and fatal crashes.
• Strengthen climate and flood resilience – flood‑immunity upgrades would reduce closure risks during extreme weather, protecting access for communities, emergency services and industry.
• Support population and economic growth – improved connectivity between regional centres would stimulate business activity, expand labour market access and support Queensland’s population growth.
• Enhance long-term network performance – progressive updates to address constraints along the Bruce Highway corridor would support consistent service levels across a priority freight route.  

NEXT STEPS  

The proponent should progress: 

• development of Final Business Cases (Stage 3 of Infrastructure Australia’s Assessment Framework) for emerging priorities
• coordination with Australian Government agencies to integrate committed investments, including the Bruce Highway Targeted Safety Program and other funded upgrades
• geotechnical, environmental and constructability investigations across upcoming stages to de‑risk delivery and optimise value for money.