It’s a road that has a terrible reputation among grey nomads but Queensland’s Bruce Highway has sunk to a new low … literally!
Police say a large section of the northbound lane has been swallowed by a sink hole about 20 kilometres south of Bowen.
Authorities are desperately trying to repair the hole which is said to be 3.5 metres wide and about 1.5 metres deep.
The highway was closed in both directions between Bowen and Proserpine, but it is expected to re-open at some stage today.
Truck driver Jeff Ian says the area is poorly lit and someone could have been killed.
“I have seen some good pot holes but never one that big,” he told the ABC.
Whitsunday Mayor Jennifer Whitney says run-off from Cyclone Ita may have undermined the highway.
“We had significant damage done with creeks and rail lines from Proserpine to Bowen and this could possibly be a result of that,” she told the ABC. “It could be a combination of the cyclone and the condition of the bridge.”
A sink hole develops when either rain or groundwater dissolves limestone or a similar rock type leading to underground caverns and eventual collapse.
* Do you still travel on the Bruce? Have you seen a sinkhole? Comment below.
STEVO, bloody marvellous isn’t it.The main road north ,the highway that supplies the whole of the north is closed by a bloody pothole.If is not closed by rain it is something else as trival as this.I don’t know how many years ago it is now that we put a man on the moon,but we cant build a all weather decent road.In this day and age there should be two lanes going north and 20 yards away two going south..I travel this track 3-4 times a year and can tell you exactly why the tourist industry is stuffed in the north,they cant get there.Told you I was old and cranky.Regards Stevo
You are absolutly right Stevo, we drove over that exact spot four hours before it happend. We are in Townsville waiting for our winebago slideout to be repaired, they said it was due to a lot of vibration, well I wonder where that came from. That road is a disgrace.
Meridith where did you take your RV for repairs?
That’s why they call it “the Bruce holeway”. It’s the same every wet season, and the pollys don’t give a hoot as its north of Brisbane.
Stevo again,just had mate pulled up beside me camped along side of Baffle Creek said he didn’t notice anything thought that was just the usual.Most of the holes are nearly that big.Said the stretch from childers to gin gin is known as the golf highway,18 holes every klm. Regards Stevo.