Albanese Pledges $7.2 Billion for Bruce Highway Upgrades in Key Election Year Move
The Australian government will fund 80% of safety and infrastructure improvements on Queensland's critical transport route following a year of high fatalities.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced $7.2 billion in federal funding for upgrades to Queensland's 1,673-kilometer Bruce Highway, covering 80% of project costs.
- The highway, which saw more than 40 fatalities in 2024, will undergo safety upgrades including barriers, wider shoulders, overtaking lanes, and rest areas to meet a minimum three-star safety rating.
- The funding marks the largest single investment in the Bruce Highway and is part of Labor's broader push to address infrastructure and safety concerns nationwide.
- The announcement comes as Albanese begins an early election campaign blitz targeting Queensland and other key regions, with federal elections required by May 2025.
- Critics, including federal opposition leaders, have labeled the timing of the pledge as politically motivated, while Queensland's premier welcomed the federal commitment to improving the dangerous highway.
The Sydney Morning Herald 
9News 
Australian Broadcasting Corporation 
The Guardian 
SBS News 