Bruce Hwy is funding black spot
THE Bruce Highway has killed 25 people on the Fraser Coast since 2007, and injured more than 100 others - but the Federal Government has failed to increase funding for road improvements.
Recent budget announcements missed their mark, failing to deliver the significant sums of money needed to improve safety on the Fraser Coast.
The latest Transport and Main Roads figures reveal just how dangerous the section of Bruce Hwy winding through the region has become.
In 2010-11, ten people involved in vehicle accidents between Isis River and Glenwood lost their lives and 45 were hospitalised.
The alarming statistic was a significant increase from 2009-10 data which showed one death and nine hospitalisations on the same 95km stretch of road.
Federal Member for Hinkler Paul Neville said the budget failed to allocate the appropriate money needed to mend the Bruce.
"In this year's budget there is no new money for roads, the money that was spoken about in the budget is previously allocated funds," Mr Neville said.
Wide Bay MP Warren Truss agreed and said the concentration has been on the Cooroy to Curra stretch of highway south of the Fraser Coast.
"There was actually higher levels of fatalities on that road then the (Fraser Coast) section so doing Cooroy to Curra first was right on the basis of fatalities and the problems," Mr Truss said.
"But clearly the fatalities are moving further north on the road and what it clearly demonstrates is that once Cooroy to Curra is finished we've got to continue to extent it further north."
