General News
7 October, 2024
New England Hwy ranks 5th worst
The results of RACQ’s 2024 Unroadworthy Roads Survey have seen the New England Highway jump three positions in two years from the eighth to the fifth worst road in Queensland.
Results from the survey noted respondents identified that the New England Highway is in very poor condition.
It was nominated as being rough with potholes, an uneven/rutted surface, with poor shoulders and a lack of overtaking lanes, particularly south of Toowoomba to the Queensland border.
Flooding was also a concern.
In the section between Toowoomba and Warwick, survey responses were particularly aggrieved by the potholes between Warwick and Allora and lack of overtaking lanes in its entirety.
Local roads identified by respondents include:
Felton Clifton Road between Kings Creek and Nobby - Rough patches exacerbated by heavy truck traffic
Saddletop Road (Headington Hill/Spring Creek) - flood prone
Dalrymple Creek Road, Victoria Hill and Allora to Ellinthorp - rough surfaces, poor shoulders
Leyburn Cunningham Road between Pratten and Ryeford Pratten Road - rough surface, poor road lighting
Cambooya Connection Road - patch work road conditions.
Also in the Darling Downs, the Warrego Highway ranked 6th, the same as in 2022.
Safety and congestion concerns at intersections/interchanges between Ipswich and Toowoomba were highlighted by respondents.
The Cunningham Highway ranked 10th, down from tied 5th in 2022.
Overall respondents nominated the road as being rough, pot holed, has poor shoulders and lacks overtaking opportunities.
Complaints centred around the poor surface conditions, with many potholes and bumps.
The road is patched, uneven and rough, especially in a cluster of nominations received from Tregony to Warwick, and out towards Goondiwindi.
The worst road overall for Queensland was again the Bruce Highway, which received nearly twice as many as any other road.
Across all roads, the most nominated problem identified by motorists was rough surfaces, followed by poor shoulders, narrow road/lanes, lack of overtaking opportunities and being flood prone.
RACQ has provided the survey results to the Department of Transport and Main Roads and relevant Councils and will use these findings to continue advocating for greater road funding in the lead up to the state and federal elections.
