Highway upgrades on an important western Queensland transport route have finally been completed after a hiccup last year in which the project's contractor went into voluntary liquidation.
The upgrades were undertaken on sections of the Landsborough Highway connecting the towns of Barcaldine and Blackall.
Contractors Ostwald Brothers went into voluntary liquidation in August last year, temporarily casting doubts on the project's progress.
Ostwald left the site in February after completing the southern section of the highway upgrade.
State government-owned RoadTek was eventually enlisted to complete the highway in March 2018.
The highway upgrade was forecast to be completed in mid-2018 depending on the weather, according to a Queensland transport department project description.
"Following heavy rain in March 2018, resources were diverted from the project for a short time to help with urgent flood recovery across the district," a Queensland transport department spokesman said.
The project was jointly funded, with the federal government contributing $10 million and the state government $2.5 million.
Queensland Transport Minister Mark Bailey said drainage, intersections and rest stops had all been improved as part of the work.
"The works support the backbone of our nation by improving the transportation of livestock to market by better connecting regional communities and helping drivers share the road with trucks and caravans more easily,” he said.
Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said small businesses in the area would benefit from having more traffic on the upgraded highway.
