Betterment builds resilience for key southern route
Although one of Queensland’s shorter state highways, Barwon Highway is a key route for southern Queensland communities.
Named after the nearby river that forms part of the Queensland-New South Wales border, the 155-kilometre stretch connects Goondiwindi with the Shire of Balonne.
Like many regional roads, Barwon Highway follows a declared stock route – an authorised thoroughfare for the walking of domestic livestock such as sheep or cattle from one location to another.
Livestock feed on the vegetation that grows on the highway’s grassy verges as they travel, especially in times of drought, making these edges much wider than other country roads.
Unfortunately, multiple heavy rainfall and flooding events over a 12-month period between late 2021 and 2022 saw Barwon Highway suffer significant and compounding damage.
Prolonged inundation caused deep ruts, shoving, large potholes, and crocodile cracking of the road surface in many areas along the highway’s Goondiwindi to Talwood section.
Emergency works undertaken by Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) after each disaster event ensured the road could continue to be safely used until full reconstruction works could be completed.
Subsequent reconstruction works throughout 2024 addressed the extensive pavement, culvert and concrete batter damage.
Due to the extensive damage, Barwon Highway was identified as a priority site for resilience works to mitigate against the impacts of future flooding.
Works delivered through the 2021-22 Betterment Program commenced in July 2024 to replace a bitumen floodway with a cement modified road base and asphalt surface to increase the resilience of the road.
Completed in January 2025, the works also strengthened the subgrade and batters to improve resilience during periods of inundation.
Betterment projects like this are vital to improve Queensland's road infrastructure network, helping to reduce isolation of remote and regional communities due to road closure, while also saving money through avoided reconstruction costs.
These Betterment works will see the Goondiwindi to Talwood stretch of the Barwon Highway able to better withstand future severe weather events.
This project is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
