Queensland’s much-maligned Bruce Highway has again taken top spot in RACQ’s 2024 Unroadworthy Roads Survey.
Head of Public Policy Dr Michael Kane said the results were not surprising with the survey adding to the mounting body of evidence showing urgent action was needed from both levels of government to improve Queensland’s road transport backbone.
“We’ve been running our Unroadworthy Roads Survey for more than two decades and the Bruce Highway has either been the worst or second worst road every time,” Dr Kane said.
“Rough surfaces, such as potholes, were the most common issue highlighted by Queensland motorists, followed by poor shoulders, narrow lanes, lack of overtaking lanes and sections prone to flooding.”
The single-lane, undivided sections of the Bruce Highway from Gympie to Childers, Gladstone to Proserpine and Townsville to Cairns received the most complaints.
Bruce Highway has either been the worst or second worst road every time
The poor state of the highway saw it also top RACQ’s survey of State and Federal election priorities, which sparked the Club’s ‘Fix the Bruce’ campaign.
Dr Kane said rural sections of the Bruce have an average ‘per kilometre travelled’ fatal or serious injury (FSI) crash rate three times higher than rural sections of the Pacific Highway in New South Wales and five times higher than rural sections of Victoria’s Hume Highway.
“The stretch between Childers and Gin Gin is the most dangerous, where you are almost 10 times more likely to be involved in a fatal or serious injury crash than on the Hume Highway in NSW,” he said.
Dr Kane said rural sections of the Bruce have an average ‘per kilometre travelled’ fatal or serious injury (FSI) crash rate three times higher than rural sections of the Pacific Highway in New South Wales and five times higher than rural sections of Victoria’s Hume Highway.
“The stretch between Childers and Gin Gin is the most dangerous, where you are almost 10 times more likely to be involved in a fatal or serious injury crash than on the Hume Highway in NSW,” he said.
RACQ is calling on both levels of government to work together to Fix the Bruce.
“The Bruce is the backbone of our State, but it’s broken,” Dr Kane said.
“We need the State and Federal governments to commit to a 10-year funding arrangement to upgrade all poorly rated two-star sections of the highway.
“We’re also calling for the Federal Government to return to the previous 80:20 infrastructure funding spilt with the State Government.
“This is a national road, and the Federal Government must do the heavy lifting to bring it up to standard with other national highways.”
The Kennedy Highway in Far North Queensland ranked second in the Unroadworthy Roads Survey, rising from 11th in the previous 2022 survey, with landslips, winding slippery surfaces and the condition of the Barron River Bridge topping the complaints.
Mount Mee Road and the Brisbane Valley Highway rounded out the top four most despised roads with rough surfaces, narrow lanes and lack of overtaking lanes named among the issues.
For the full report and map visit racq.com/badroads
