WORK is underway to construct and seal the final stage of the Quilpie-Thargomindah Road to the Bulloo Shire boundary in south-west Queensland.
Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace said the road was an important outback link supporting local properties and industries in the region. "Sealing the road to the Bulloo Shire boundary is a major milestone for the region and for Quilpie Shire Council," Wallace said.
Sealing the road to the shire boundary would reduce future maintenance costs on this road. On completion of the project, the road will be easier to maintain under drought or flood conditions, particularly when large movements of cattle on road trains travel down from the Channel Country.
The final stage of the Quilpie-Thargomindah Road upgrade involved extending the sealed network past the Eulo turn-off to the Bulloo Shire Council boundary about 126 km from Quilpie. When completed, Quilpie Shire Council will have constructed and sealed a total of 28 km. The upgrade will also allow two-wheeled conventional vehicles to access this part of the outback more often.
The sealing of the Quilpie-Thargomindah Road to the Bulloo Shire boundary is a joint State Government,
Federal Government and Quilpie Shire Council initiative. The road is being sealed to a seven-metre-wide formation and is due to be completed in early 2010.
Stage one of the project involved sealing the road between 97 and 110 km to the Eulo turn-off.