The Government of Queensland, Australia, has announced the start of piling works at the new Pioneer River crossing as part of the A$497.3m ($393.5m) Mackay Ring Road project.

The Mackay Ring Road Stage 1 project will see the addition of a fourth bridge over the Pioneer River, offering better connectivity and access during floods.

Australia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Barnaby Joyce said: “The new bridge is also going to be a really important new part of the Bruce Highway, by making this section of the highway safer and more reliable and taking trucks and through-traffic out of the town centre.

“The new crossing of the Pioneer River is also going to significantly improve resilience against major floods, improving access and reliability for residents.”

“The new crossing of the Pioneer River is also going to significantly improve resilience against major floods, improving access and reliability for residents.”

The piling works are being carried out upstream from the existing Edmund Casey Bridge and are expected to provide physical support to the new 670m-long structure.

Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey said: “These piles will form the permanent foundation of the river crossing, and will be drilled at least 2.3m into the bedrock, which is 26.6m below the level of the highest tide.”

Federal Member for Dawson George Christensen added that the new project is expected to support more than 530 direct jobs over its lifetime.

Scheduled for completion in early 2020, the Bruce Highway – Mackay Ring Road – Stage 1 project is jointly funded by the federal and state governments.

The Australian Government has committed up to A$397.9m ($314.8m) for the project while the Queensland Government will provide up to A$99.4m ($78.66m).