Mackay Ring Road | |
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Map of Stage 1 of proposed ring road | |
General information | |
Type | Highway (Under construction) |
Length | 21 km (13 mi) |
Ring road around | Mackay |
Major junctions | |
South end | ![]() |
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Northeast end | Harbour Road |
Location(s) | |
Major settlements | Bakers Creek, Ooralea, Racecourse, Foulden, Glenella, Mount Pleasant, North Mackay, Mackay Harbour |
Highway system | |
The Mackay Ring Road is a bypass route near Mackay, Queensland, Australia The proposed full length of the road is 21 kilometres (13 mi) long and will be built in 3 stages.[1] Stage 1 opened in September 2020.
Stage 1 is 11.34 km in length and connects the Bruce Highway to the south of Mackay (at Stockroute Road) with the Bruce Highway to the north of Mackay (near Bald Hill Road). It includes a new bridge over the Pioneer River and an interchange with the Peak Downs Highway. It provides a bypass of Mackay for Bruce Highway traffic that is immune to flooding and free of signalised intersections.[1] Stage 1 of the project was expected to cost $540 million, 80% of the funding was from the Commonwealth and the remaining 20% from Queensland.[2]
Stage 2 is 8.2 km in length. It will connect Stage 1 near the Bruce Highway at Glenella to Harbour Road at Mackay Harbour. The route will follow the Mackay Harbour Railway (Port Rail Line).
Stage 3 is 1.4 km in length. An additional connection from Stage 2 to the Port and Slade Point Road.
It was expected that many vehicles would bypass the city once completed.
Construction
Milestones
- October 2011 – Planning Study commences
- February 2012 – Analysis and evaluation of alignment options
- May 2012 – Business Case for preferred alignment commences, community consultations
- 13 November 2012 – Approval to proceed to design stage
- January 2014 – Preliminary design phase begins, Initial ground survey and soil testing
- 2015 – Detailed design work commenced
- Mid 2017 – Construction of stage 1 commenced
- 5 September 2020 – Completion of Stage 1 and opening.
Upgrades
Extend to Bald Hill Road
A project to extend the ring road to Bald Hill Road, at a cost of $497.3 million, was in detailed design in November 2021.[3]
Mackay Port access
A project to provide access to Mackay Port, at a cost of $350 million, was in planning in July 2022,[4]
See also
References
- 1 2 Department of Transport and Main Roads (19 May 2014). "Mackay Ring Road concept plans". Projects. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
- ↑ Truss, Warren (10 June 2014). "Mackay Ring Road En Route". Media Release. Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
- ↑ "Mackay Ring Road". Queensland Government. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ↑ "Mackay Port Access, Bruce Highway to Mackay - Slade Point Road, construct new two-lane road". Queensland Government. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.