Critical roadworks keep Darling Downs communities connected and industries moving
Situated approximately 80 kilometres west of Toowoomba, the town of Dalby is a key administrative centre for Darling Downs and the broader Western Downs.
With a population just north of 12,700, Dalby punches well above its economic weight, supporting various industries including agriculture, large-scale engineering, power generation, and coal and gas mining.
Keeping Dalby connected with other nearby townships is vital for the region's economy, particularly for places like Cecil Plains.
The fertile black soil around Cecil Plains, named after a pastoral station established there in 1842, makes it an ideal location for cotton production.
In fact, Cecil Plains is home to one of the largest cotton gins in the southern hemisphere, with a further two cotton gins situated within 10 kilometres of Dalby itself.
Recognising the importance of keeping Darling Downs communities connected in the face of increasing natural disasters, Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) worked to improve the resilience of a key local transport route.
The Dalby-Cecil Plains Road runs south-west from the Warrego Highway at Dalby to Cecil Plains, about 40 kilometres away.
However, the road’s location on the Condamine floodplain, one of the largest catchments in the Murray-Darling Basin, leaves it vulnerable to flooding.
Heavy rainfall in late 2021 followed by the record-breaking rains of 2022 significantly damaged the road surface, with Ashall Creek Bridge especially hard hit.
Emergency works following both events kept Dalby-Cecil Plains Road open, however, more needed to be done.
Between November 2023 and October 2024, reconstruction works were completed on various flood damaged sections of the road.
Funded through the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), these repairs were vital to keep Cecil Plains connected to Dalby.
Further works to address the challenges of this flood-prone road were completed in April 2025 using extraordinary DRFA assistance.
As part of the DRFA funded 2021-22 Betterment Program, a floodway along the road, and the Ashall Creek Bridge section, which often sees flood levels over two metres, were strengthened with reinforced resilience measures.
This included TMR-designed pavement and drainage improvements, as well as increased batter and drainage protection, foam bitumen, and the installation of new guardrails.
These Betterment works will keep Dalby connected with the greater Western Downs region under all extreme weather conditions, safeguarding local industry and the Queenslanders who rely on it.
