Bruce Highway Upgrade – Cooroy to Curra, Section D
(Gympie Bypass)
Client: Bielby BMD Joint Venture
Location: Bruce Highway between Woondum and Veteran, Queensland, Australia
Services: Construction Materials Testing
Construction Sciences Units:
Gympie Annex Laboratory and Brisbane North (Brendale) Laboratory
Image: New Gympie Bypass looking south from Flood Road interchange.
Source:TMR.
Project Description:
The Gympie Bypass was the final stage of the transformative $2.5 billion program of works to upgrade the Bruce Highway between Cooroy and Curra. Spanning 26 kilometres, this project relocated the highway east of Gympie, providing a four-lane divided highway designed to improve safety, traffic flow, and flood resilience along one of Queensland’s most critical transport routes. By bypassing 53 intersections, 106 property accesses, and nine signalised junctions, the upgrade has eased traffic congestion and enhanced regional connectivity.
The project included the construction of 42 bridges, major interchanges at Flood Road, Gympie Connection Road and Curra, and comprehensive flood mitigation measures designed to withstand a 1-in-100-year flood event. This upgrade not only reduced travel times with an increased speed limit of 110km/h but also significantly improved safety by separating long-distance and local traffic, reducing the likelihood of head-on collisions, and ensuring uninterrupted access during extreme weather events. These improvements support economic growth and facilitating reliable travel across the region.
Our Role:
Construction Sciences delivered Construction Materials Testing services for Contract 1 of the Gympie Bypass between Woondum and Veteran. An on-site annex laboratory was established for the project, supported by the Construction Sciences Brisbane North Laboratory. The team oversaw the Construction Materials Testing to determine the quality of over 3 million cubic metres of bulk earthworks, more than 42,000 cubic metres of concrete, and conducted extensive pavement testing to ensure the project met the highest standards for safety and durability.
