Major upgrades along Canning Street improves safety and accessibility
Published on 16 October 2025
Major upgrades to a section of Canning Street, The Range, will start next week improving safety and accessibility.
The upgrades span from Voss Street to Cambridge Street and include a full road reconstruction to improve surface quality and traffic flow.
In addition to the roadworks, new 2.5-metre-wide footpaths will be installed for pedestrians on both sides of the section of Canning Street.
The project is expected to take 12 months to complete, with the area reduced to one-way travelling from North Street to Cambridge Street.
The works have been structured to ensure uninterrupted access to the Rockhampton Hospital while also reconstructing the road.
Throughout the construction, if the community need to access the emergency department, or the multi-storey carpark, access is available from Canning Street via the North Street roundabout.
While one-way access will be maintained with traffic controls in place, motorists are encouraged to use alternative routes.
New two-metre-wide pedestrian refuges will be installed on both Albert Street and on Canning Street, making it safer and easier for people to cross these busy routes.
To make way for the new footpaths, nine Poincianas will be removed and replaced with 16 trees which will be planted towards the end of the project.
During construction, approximately 32 parking spaces between Voss and Cambridge Streets will be temporarily unavailable, however, almost all of these will be reinstated once the project is complete.
The community can view concept designs here.
Quotes attributable to Rockhampton Regional Council Mayor Tony Williams
“It’s great to see this project getting started as it will really improve the safety and accessibility of this busy road.
“I’d like to thank the community in advance for their patience, we understand the works may cause some inconvenience, but the long-term benefits will make a positive difference for the community.
“This is a complex project, but we are confident we can deliver it with minimal disruption to the community.
“We are asking motorists to please avoid this area if they can while works are underway, not only will you skip delays due to roadworks, by reducing traffic in that section, it will allow our teams to get on with the task quickly and safely.”
Quotes attributable to Infrastructure Councillor Marika Taylor
“This is a fantastic project, one that’s going to improve safety for all road users.
“Improving pedestrian safety near critical services like hospitals is a top priority. These new features will help reduce risk and improve traffic flow in a busy area.
“New footpaths will ensure everyone, staff, patients and anyone with mobility challenges, are able to park their car and safely access the hospital and surrounding medical services.
“The new pedestrian refuges will also make it a lot safer and easier for people to cross these busy routes.
“This is a smart investment in public safety and accessibility. It’s a great example of how thoughtful infrastructure can support the wellbeing of our community.
ENDS