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Bruce Highway goes hi-tech to warn of road hazards

New electronic signs installed on Bruce Highway to alert motorists of road hazards

July 28, 2011

The last of four electronic signs to alert drivers of road closures on the Bruce Highway has been installed in time for North Queensland’s next big wet season.

The signs operate between Cairns and Townsville as part of a $320,000 project to give motorists advanced warning of closures and changed traffic conditions.

Queensland Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace says three signs have already been installed at Gordonvale, Innisfail and Tully, with the latest addition situated south of Tully.

“The northern regions of Queensland can be heavily impacted during wet a season, which plays havoc on travel time and road conditions for all motorists,” Wallace says.

“This state-of-the-art equipment allows us to provide real time road condition information to the travelling public on the highway, providing road users with earlier warning of road closures or potential hazards.”

Meanwhile, the next stage of the federally-funded Cooroy to Curra upgrade on has started. The modelling exercise is designed to capture transport movements in the Gympie region, north of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Wallace says the project will be vital to planning the next stage of the upgrade. Roadside video cameras will record traffic movements on the Bruce, Wide Bay and Burnett highways and various local connecting roads.

The footage will be used for planning work on the future Gympie bypass and entire road network. Wallace says information gleaned from the 35 cameras will remain confidential

“To be clear, these additional 35 cameras in and around Gympie are not speed cameras and will not be used in any way for law enforcement,” he says.

“The cameras look like a standard video camera attached to a vertical pole and will be installed at safe locations.”

The cameras will be installed on July 30 and will operate continuously for 72 hours from August 2 to 4.

Wallace says the data collection period might be extended depending on weather or major traffic incidences.

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