Located on the North Coast rail line at Rungoo, the 180m long overpass is a high level viaduct and the centrepiece of the Bruce Highway upgrade.

In an announcement yesterday, federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said it was just one of many upgrades currently underway along the 1700km length of this road.

“All up, more than 600,000 tonnes of soil and rock will be removed from along the new alignment of the Bruce Highway and stockpiled for use elsewhere on the project, including building new embankments,” he said.

Expected to be completed by the middle of next year, the Cardwell Range realignment is upgrading a 4km section of the Bruce Highway about 15km north of Ingham.

Queensland Senator Jan McLucas said the Rungoo overpass delivered a huge safety improvement at the site of the fatal December 2008 crash between a B-double truck and the tilt train.

“The Hinchinbrook Lookout is also being upgraded and a new access bridge over the highway is being erected so as to remove the need to make unsafe right turns and provide better access for visitors,” she said.

This article first appeared in ILN's sister publication ConstructionIndustryNews.net.