Tin Can Bay Road is the principal road link between Gympie and Tin Can Bay. It is a key freight route, supporting local timber and agricultural industries, as well as catering to commuter traffic and tourists visiting the popular seaside towns of Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach and surrounding national parks.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is undertaking investigations for a new overtaking lane/s on Tin Can Bay Road, to cater for continued growth in the area.

There is currently no funding for detailed design or construction, however the planning work will assist TMR to develop a business case for funding consideration.

TMR is undertaking investigations to identify a suitable location for an additional overtaking lane/s on Tin Can Bay Road and will consider:

• road safety and design standards and requirements. This includes achieving the minimum lengths for overtaking lanes as well as lane widths, visibility, geometry and other requirements that allow motorists to safely travel at speed for overtaking. It also includes finding or creating areas with fewer conflict points where there is a higher risk of collision
• minimising environmental and property impacts
• key issues and priorities identified by the local community.

TMR has completed preliminary investigations and is now seeking community feedback before finalising the planning.

Tin Can Bay Road presents several challenges from a road design perspective for installing overtaking lanes. The winding and hilly terrain, frequent road and property accesses, narrow corridor and sensitive environmental areas between Gympie and the mid-way point to Tin Can Bay, can make it difficult to achieve the road safety and design standards mentioned above, without significant changes to the road corridor that increase costs and impact on the surrounding properties and environment.

Other areas around the mid-way point are less constrained, with a wider road corridor, flatter terrain and fewer property access, but these locations already have overtaking opportunities with broken centre lines.

TMR has received feedback suggesting motorists are often unable to use the broken lines at this mid-way point to overtake due to traffic volumes travelling in the other direction, and may therefore benefit from a dedicated overtaking lane/s at the mid-way point.

TMR would like to hear from motorists who regularly travel on Tin Can Bay Road, to identify the extent of the issue and whether the community has any feedback on the proposed overtaking lane/s location.

You can have your say in the following ways:

• provide feedback on the interactive map below
• complete a short survey
• email bundaberg.office@tmr.qld.gov.au with the subject heading 'Tin Can Bay Road overtaking lane/s'
• call the Project Team on 1300 728 390.

Submissions close 20 December 2024.