Federal and state governments have been accusing each other of being responsible for making an accident-prone highway safer after a crash on a notorious stretch of highway put it out of service for months.
State and local officials were unable to say when the Bruce Highway in central Queensland would reopen after a head-on collision early Friday between a pickup truck and a chemical truck caused an explosion with a blast radius of 500 metres and a massive crater.
The driver of the pickup truck, which burst into flames, died on the spot while the B-double truck spilled its load of ammonium nitrate onto the road, triggering the explosion.
The driver of the vehicle suffered injuries to the abdomen, legs, pelvis, head and arm.
Premier Anthony Albanese, who was visiting the central Queensland city of Rockhampton on Saturday, was asked about the highway but quickly passed the question on to Queensland Premier Steven Miles.
“I had a discussion this morning with Steven Miles… because it is the state government that has the public works, rather than the federal government, to solve the immediate problems,” Albanese said.
‘I am very conscious of the need to do more, I want to work with the Queensland Government to ensure we do more and we will continue to have more to say, including calling for projects that are being brought forward to be accelerated.
“The Queensland Government is of course best placed to identify those priority projects.”
The head-on crash on the Bruce Highway in central Queensland left a pickup truck driver dead and ammonium nitrate spilled, triggering a fiery explosion and leaving a huge crater (pictured)
Residents within a 2.5-kilometre exclusion zone around the crash site (pictured) were told to leave.
Mr Miles was previously forced to deny claims that funding for the motorway had stalled.
“We have $6 billion allocated to projects in Bruce right now, I don’t think you can say that’s stagnant,” he said.
“Some industry commentators would say that’s more than our construction industry can currently sustain, which is why we’re investing heavily.”
Queensland Environment Minister Leanne Linard said on Saturday the Bruce Highway was expected to remain closed for “the entire weekend” but could not say whether rail services would be affected or what road closures there might be.
Ms Linard said the state government would continue to push for the 80-20 funding split with the federal government to be reinstated.
“I know our Premier has been very, very firm in his discussions with the federal government and the Premier, that we need to work together and continue to invest in this path to keep Queensland moving forward,” he said.
‘In our view, the fair split in Queensland is what it has always been, which is 80-20.’
Mr Albanese hinted earlier this week that his government would make a long-term multi-billion-dollar commitment to “finish” the motorway.
Responding to the crash on Friday, federal Transport Minister Catherine King said federal and state governments were working together to reduce the risk.
Premier Anthony Albanese, who was visiting the region where the blast occurred, said it was a matter of state that would be decided when the Bruce Highway reopened.
“We are working closely with the Queensland Government and I have asked them to put forward proposals to accelerate the safety works, taking into account Commonwealth funding commitments as well as future priorities for the budget process,” he said.
“There is much work to be done and we will continue to work with the Queensland Government and the community on priority areas to create a better Bruce Highway.”
While the road will be closed at least until Monday, the mayor of nearby Gladstone, Matt Burnett, said the period could last longer and that repair crews would have to wait while police and other departments investigate the accident.
In a social media post, Burnett said the extent of the damage would be assessed after repair crews were allowed access.
“Depending on the extent of the damage, the highway could open in a few days with one lane while repairs are made,” Burnett said.
The two vehicles collided at Bororen (pictured) on the Bruce Highway shortly after 5am on Friday.
‘If the culvert (near the blast area) is significantly damaged, a secondary road will need to be established and the road could be closed for a significant period of time.’
Repairs will not begin until at least Sunday, but it is not clear whether they will take days or even weeks.
“Upon gaining access to the site, TMR will commence site clearance, conduct a site survey and commence assessments of road infrastructure including structures,” a Queensland Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said. Courier mail.
Following the explosion, 49 local residents evacuated themselves from the remote area and a 2.5-kilometre exclusion zone was established at Bororen, north of Miriam Vale, 475 kilometres north of Brisbane.
The ammonium nitrate explosion produced a huge plume of smoke (pictured)
Capricornia District Acting Superintendent Mark Burgess said emergency services remained at the scene of the crash, which happened shortly after 5am on Friday.
“Shortly after 9.40am an explosion was heard and felt and there was a large cloud of smoke visible,” he said.
‘Emergency services were able to survey the scene using a drone which indicated several fires located along the railway corridor.’
It is the third serious accident involving trucks on the Bruce Highway in the same region this week.
On Tuesday, a 29-year-old truck driver was killed in a five-truck pile-up in Gindoran that closed the highway for nearly 24 hours.
On Thursday, a man in his 20s was injured in a lorry rollover at Colosseum, near Miriam Vale, prompting politicians and road haulage industry bodies to call for major improvements and investment in the road.
Two ambulances that were sent to the scene also crashed.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles was forced to defend his government’s spending on road maintenance and safety following the crash.
Miriam Vale resident Lee Pennell said he heard the explosion.
“There was a huge explosion,” he said. alphabet‘I live 14 kilometres south of Miriam Vale and our house shook because of that explosion.’
The caravan parking area at Miriam Vale was starting to fill up and the local Rural Women’s Association had opened a hall in the town to help stranded travellers, she said.
A Queensland Rail spokesman said its train service between Bororen and Iveragh was closed and buses would be used instead.