By Jeremy Cook
Motorists have been told to expect heightened delays at Cunningham’s Gap while ongoing road works enter a four-day intensive construction phase in early-September.
The gap will temporarily close to oversize vehicles and traffic reduced to a single lane from 6pm on Friday 6 September until 5am on 10 September. Work will involve reducing the steep grade of the road through that section of the Cunningham Highway.
Cunningham’s Gap is a major transport route which cuts through the Great Dividing Range to connect Warwick with greater Brisbane.
Construction forms part of ongoing $134 million state and federally funded upgrades at the gap to repair significant damage to the road caused by bushfires in 2019.
A statement to media from Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads reported “intensive work” had been consolidated into the September timeframe to reduce the number of traffic changes and impacts for road users.
Work crews will excavate and lower close to 1.5 metres of bitumen to reconstruct the central section of road at the crest of the highway.
The department’s south coast regional director Andrew Wheeler said road users will be notified in advance via electronic roadside signage, traffic alerts and updates to the QLDTraffic website and app.
“As the project location is also on a key national freight route, we provide advance notice to operators with updates to the Conditions of Operations Database, and to subscribers of TMR’s Heavy Vehicle Bulletin,” he said.
Mr Wheeler said “ensuring a safe work site and safe passage for road users is TMR’s highest priority at all times during roadworks at Cunninghams Gap”.
Oversized vehicles have been told to consult the conditions of operations database for vehicle dimension limits and seek an alternative route.
Oversize vehicle access will close so construction can occur “within the narrow road widths” of the highway, according to a statement from the department.
“When completed, heavy vehicles travelling up the range are expected to experience an easier ascent at the final bend of the highway at Cunninghams Gap,” the statement read.
“Road users are advised to expect delays and plan ahead with updates to the QLDTraffic website or app.
“Weather or site conditions can impact the planned works, which may delay start and finish schedules.”
Repairs at Cunningham’s Gap have been ongoing for more than four years after bushfires in 2019.
Work to install fencing, barriers and slope monitoring cameras began in late-2022 after numerous rock fall incidents raised safety concerns. Other works have included road resurfacing, road widening and pedestrian safety upgrades at the Main Range National Park carpark. The whole project is not expected to finish until mid-2025.
