Most of Bruce Highway only two or three stars out of five-star safety system

One of Australia’s longest roads is littered with danger zones with almost half of the 1700-kilometre stretch failing basic safety standards.

The Bruce Highway stretches from Brisbane to Cairns along Queensland’s east coast.

According to the Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP), about 90 per cent of the highway only rated two or three stars out of a five-star safety rating.

One of Australia’s longest roads is littered with

At least 149 people lost their lives on the Bruce Highway between 2018 and 2022.

Of the deaths, 52 per cent were from head-on crashes and almost 80 per cent occurred at speed zones over 100km/h.

RACQ head of public policy Michael Kane told 9News the state of the highway was risking the lives of drivers.

“There is 1000 kilometres of the Bruce Highway which is just single lane that’s been described as a goat track in sections and that is putting Queenslanders at risk,” he said.

The RACQ said it believed the shift from an 80/20 federal and state funding ratio to 50/50 has slowed future works, despite more than $13 billion invested for over 10 years.

“What that is, is a massive reduction in funding, in future funding for the Bruce Highway,” Kane said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese assured Queenslanders the government was working on it.

“I know about the Bruce Highway, so does Catherine King, so does the premier of Queensland, and we are getting on with it,” he said.

The Australian Automobile Association said critical road safety data, such as the possible cause of crashes and road conditions, needs to be made public.

“The state government’s know where the dangerous roads are and where the money needs to be spent but voters and taxpayers do not,” the association’s managing director Michael Bradley said.

“The state government’s know where the dangerous roads are and where the money needs to be spent but voters and taxpayers do not.”