Queensland’s Bruce Highway could be out of action for months after exploding truck killed one driver and left

By David Southwell For Daily Mail Australia[1]

Published: 07:20, 31 August 2024 | Updated: 09:46, 31 August 2024

The federal and state governments have pointed fingers at each other over which is responsible for making an accident-prone highway safer after a crash on a notorious stretch may put it out of action for months.

State and local officials could not say when the the Bruce Highway in central Queensland would reopen after Friday's early morning head-on crash between a ute and a chemical truck which caused an explosion with a 500m blast radius and enormous crater.

The driver of the ute, which burst into flames, died at the scene while the B-double truck spilled its cargo of ammonium nitrate onto the road, leading to the blast.

The vehicle's driver suffered abdominal, leg, pelvic, head and arm injuries.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who on Saturday was visiting the city of Rockhampton in central Queensland, was asked about the highway but quickly handballed the question to the Queensland premier Steven Miles.

'I had a discussion this morning with Steven Miles... because it's state government have public works, rather than the federal government to fix the immediate issues,' Mr Albanese said.

'I'm very conscious of the need to do more, I want to work with the Queensland[2] Government to make sure that we do do more and we'll continue to have more to say, including the asking of projects being brought forward to be accelerated.

'The Queensland Government is, of course, in the best position to identify those priority projects.'

The head-on crash on the Bruce Highway in central Queensland left a ute driver dead and spilled ammonium nitrate, which triggered a fiery explosion and left a huge crater (pictured)

Residents within a 2.5kilometre exclusion zone of the crash site (pictured) were told to leave

Earlier Mr Miles was forced to deny claims funding for the highway had stalled.

'We have £6billion allocated to projects on the Bruce at the moment, I don't think you can characterise that as stalled,' he said.

'Some industry commentators would say that's more than our construction industry can currently sustain so we are investing a lot.'

Queensland Environment Minister Leanne Linard said on Saturday the Bruce Highway was expected to remain shut over the 'whole weekend' but was unable to say whether rail services would be impacted or what road closures there might be.

Ms Linard said the state government would continue to lobby for the return of the 80-20 funding split with the federal government.

'I know that our premier has been very, very strong in regard to his conversations with the federal government and the Prime Minister, that we need to work together and keep investing in this road to keep Queensland moving,' she said.

'The fair split, in our view in Queensland, is what it always has been, and that's 80-20.'

Mr Albanese hinted earlier in the week there would be a long-term multibillion-dollar commitment by his government to 'finish' the highway.

On Friday in response to the crash, Federal Transport Minister Catherine King said federal and state governments were cooperating to reduce risk.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was visiting the region where the blast occurred, said it was a state matter for when the Bruce Highway reopened

'We're working closely with the Queensland Government and I have asked that they bring forward proposals to accelerate safety works, with the Commonwealth funding commitments made as well as future priorities for the budget process,' she said.

'There is more to be done, and we will continue to work with the Queensland Government and the community on areas they deem a priority to create a better Bruce Highway.'

While the highway will be closed until at least Monday, the mayor of the nearby town of Gladstone, Matt Burnett, stated it could be longer with repair crews having to wait until police and other departments investigate the accident.

In a social media post Mr Burnett said after repair crews were allowed access, the extent of the damage would be assessed.

'Depending on the extent of the damage the highway could be open in a few days with a single lane while repairs take place,' Mr Burnett said.

The two vehicles crashed at Bororen (pictured) on the Bruce Highway just after 5am on Friday

'If the culvert (close by the explosion area) is significantly damaged a side track will need to be established and the highway could be closed for a significant time.'

Repairs won't start until at least Sunday but there is no certainty over whether they will take days or even weeks.

'Upon gaining access to the site, TMR will commence site clean-up, undertake a site inspection, and begin assessments of road infrastructure including structures,' a spokesman for Queensland's Transport and Main Roads told the Courier Mail[3].

Following the explosion 49 locals self-evacuated from the remote area and a 2.5-kilometre exclusion zone was put in place at Bororen, north of Miriam Vale, 475km north of Brisbane[4].

The ammonium nitrate explosion produced a huge plume of smoke (pictured)

Capricornia District Officer Acting Superintendent Mark Burgess said emergency services remained at the scene of the crash, which happened just after 5am on Friday.

'Just after 9.40am, a blast was heard and felt and there was a visible large cloud of smoke,' he said.

'Emergency services were able to review the scene by use of a drone that indicated several spot fires along the rail corridor.'

It is the third serious crash involving trucks on the Bruce Highway in the same region this week.

On Tuesday, a 29-year-old truck driver died in a five-truck pile-up at Gindoran that closed the highway for almost 24 hours.

On Thursday, a man in his 20s was injured in a truck rollover at Colosseum near Miriam Vale, prompting politicians and trucking industry bodies to call for major upgrades and investments into the highway.

Two ambulances that were dispatched to the scene also crashed.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles was forced to defend his government's spending on maintenance and road safety following the accident

Miriam Vale resident Lee Pennell said she heard the explosion.

'There was a huge explosion,' she told the ABC[5]. 'I live 14kilometres south of Miriam Vale and our house shook from that explosion.'

The caravan parking area in Miriam Vale was starting to fill up and the local Country Women's Association had opened a hall in town to help stranded travellers, she said.

A Queensland Rail spokesperson said its train service between Bororen and Iveragh was closed and buses will be used instead.

QueenslandBrisbane[6][7]

References

1. ^ David Southwell For Daily Mail Australia (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ Queensland (www.dailymail.co.uk)
3. ^ Courier Mail (www.couriermail.com.au)
4. ^ Brisbane (www.dailymail.co.uk)
5. ^ ABC (www.abc.net.au)
6. ^ Queensland (www.dailymail.co.uk)
7. ^ Brisbane (www.dailymail.co.uk)