Warrego Highway East master plan – Ipswich to Toowoomba
The Warrego Highway East master plan project will determine the future requirements of the Warrego Highway transport corridor.
Toowoomba North South Transport Corridor Planning
The department has finalised planning on the Toowoomba North South Transport Corridor.
Greater Toowoomba's population, currently around 123,000 people is expected to grow by 76,000 people around 200,000 by 2046.
The Toowoomba North South Transport Corridor (TNSTC) planning project aimed to identify a corridor to connect current and future residential and employment growth areas.
Community consultation commenced on 10 July 2023 and closed on 13 October 2023.
The community feedback received shows there is positive support for a transport solution to address expected future growth. The department needs to reconsider the proposed future transport solution to consider some of the valuable feedback received during the consultation. This means the department will not proceed with corridor protections for most of the corridor at this time.
The only section that will proceed to corridor protection is the Charlton Bypass. This will occur after some refinements to reflect land use changes and community feedback in the area.
Future planning work to identify transport solutions to address Toowoomba’s future growth may require some corridor protection with land requirements to improve the efficiency of the road network. The community will be consulted as part of this process when it occurs in the future.
Currently there is no funding for construction of the proposed transport corridor. As demand for additional transport routes increase, the department will continue to seek funding for future infrastructure opportunities to meet community needs.
Benefits
- Improves safety
- Increases capacity
- Improves network efficiency
- Reduces peak hour congestion
- Better road access
- Accessibility
- Reduces travel time
- Contributes to economy
- Contributes to regional growth
Key features
The department will continue to work with state and local government, key stakeholders and the wider community to plan future transport infrastructure solutions that maximise the use of existing road infrastructure and will also:
- improve access and connections for emerging communities and industries
- support the expansion areas outlined in regional and council plans
- increase safety on current roads
- increase transport infrastructure capacity
- maintain the efficiency of the New England Highway
- move towards a multi-modal transport future.
Funding
There is no funding for construction within the proposed corridor for the long-term future. Investment ID 453485
- Total investment
- $2.8 million
- Queensland Government
- $2.8 million
Current status
The consultation period for community feedback on this project closed on 13 October 2023.
As part of the planning and consultation process, the department has engaged with key stakeholders, state agencies, Toowoomba Regional Council, elected representatives, industry, property owners along the proposed corridor and the greater Toowoomba community.
The feedback received has been an important part of the strategic planning process. The majority of the community expressed support for the proposed planning project but requested consideration of the following key issues:
- exploring alternatives that include the use of the Toowoomba Bypass and other existing roads
- investigating feasibility of more modest transport solutions utilising existing transport networks to connect new residents and workers across the greater Toowoomba region
- revising the width of the transport corridor
- ensuring fast and efficient access to the new hospital campus
- minimising the impact of the transport corridor on key community assets and landowners.
The department appreciates the feedback received and thanks everyone who participated in engagement events or provided feedback through the various channels.
The community will be invited to view further details and have their say in future phases of the project as it progresses.
Sustainability
Environmental and cultural heritage considerations are part of the project, with efforts to minimise the impact on existing and future land use.
This includes reducing the earthworks, noise, and dust while also considering the impacts on environmental and cultural heritage land values.
Further field work will be undertaken if the project progresses to refine the corridor in accordance with government requirements and sustainability goals.
Toowoomba North South Transport Corridor planning map
