Progress continues on the Mackay Ring Road Stage 1, with AECOM announced as the preferred contractor to carry out the detailed design of the $565 million project.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said these works were part of the $8.5 billion investment in partnership with the Queensland Government to fix the Bruce Highway.

“Mackay is one of Queensland’s fastest growing regions and this project will improve the local road network and ease congestion and safety issues,” Mr Truss said.

When completed, the Mackay Ring Road will reduce the amount of heavy vehicles carrying hazardous loads through built-up areas and improve efficiency and safety on the highway.

Queensland Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports, Mark Bailey said that after three years of planning, the project would now move onto the detailed design phase, which is expected to take two years to finalise. Construction for Stage 1 is expected to begin in 2017 and take about two and a half years to complete, weather permitting.

“Local residents, businesses and visitors to Mackay will be the beneficiaries of a better, more efficient road network. Importantly, this project will generate more than 600 direct jobs for workers at a time when jobs and job security are more important than ever,” Mr Bailey said.

Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen said the Mackay Ring Road was one of Mackay’s largest infrastructure projects.

“The design for Stage 1 includes an 11.3 kilometre two lane rural highway bypass that will avoid 10 signalised intersections from Stockroute Road to Bald Hill Road,” Mr Christensen said.

Fourteen new bridges will be constructed, including local road overpasses and major waterway crossings of the Pioneer River and the Fursden Creek floodplain.