Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive), Bowen Road Bridge (Idalia), duplicate bridge and approaches

The department is building a new upstream bridge over the Ross River in Townsville, adjacent to the existing Bowen Road Bridge. This will increase the capacity of the river crossing from 2 to 4 lanes.

Work has started to duplicate Stuart Drive from 2 to 4 lanes, removing the last remaining bottleneck on this section of road. The Bowen Road Bridge duplication project will improve safety and driveability for the 24,000 vehicles using this bridge daily.

The existing 2-way bridge will be converted to 2 lanes for outbound traffic, in line with the upgrade of the Stuart Drive link, adjacent to this project. The bridge duplication project will deliver pavement upgrades to the bridge approaches and upgraded lighting as well as CCTV installation.

There will also be upgrades to the pedestrian and bike crossings to improve safety for all road users, as well as improved connections to a refurbished underpass pathway.

Benefits

  • Improves safety
  • Increases capacity
  • Improves network efficiency
  • Increases traffic flow
  • Reduces peak hour congestion
  • Better road access
  • Contributes to economy
  • Contributes to regional growth
  • Better active transport

Key features

  • Duplicating the Bowen Road Bridge adjacent to the existing Bowen Road Bridge
  • Pavement rehabilitation at the bridge approaches
  • Lighting upgrades and installation of CCTV footage
  • Upgraded pedestrian and bike crossings
  • Refurbished underpass pathway with improved connections 

Funding

This project is fully funded by the Queensland Government. Investment ID 2419830

Total investment
$99.8 million
Queensland Government
$99.8 million

Current status 

Detailed design started in late 2022. 

Construction is expected to start in mid-2024 and be completed in mid-2026, construction scheduling and weather conditions permitting.

Early engagement with directly impacted stakeholders started in mid-2022 and consultation, including with the broader community, increased in early 2023 and will continue throughout the delivery of the project.

Townsville Connection Road (Stuart Drive), Bowen Road Bridge (Idalia), duplicate bridge and approaches location map

The map shows the locality of the existing and future Bowen Road Bridge, over the Ross River, from the southern approach through Stuart Drive north through to Bowen Road, through the Townsville suburbs of Wulguru, Idalia, Annandale and Rosslea. A grey line indicates the Bruce Highway and University Road, which is bisected by Stuart Drive and the intersections of Gartrell Drive, Mervyn Crossman Drive/Fairfield Waters Drive and Kokoda Street. A solid dark blue line indicates the project area of the Bowen Road Bridge, over the river, shaded light blue.

The map shows the location of the existing and future Bowen Road Bridge, over the Ross River, from the southern approach through Stuart Drive north through to Bowen Road, through the Townsville suburbs of Wulguru, Idalia, Annandale and Rosslea. A grey line indicates the Bruce Highway and University Road, which is bisected by Stuart Drive and the intersections of Gartrell Drive, Mervyn Crossman Drive/Fairfield Waters Drive and Kokoda Street. A solid dark blue line indicates the project area of the Bowen Road Bridge, over the river, shaded light blue.