Motorists hoping for relief from congestion along Gympie Road may face a longer wait, with comments made during Brisbane’s latest budget suggesting the proposed bypass tunnel could remain in the planning phase until after the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Read: $335-M Earmarked for Gympie Road Bypass Tunnel, Surface Upgrades
The proposed project would create a nine-kilometre bypass linking Kedron and Carseldine, including a seven-kilometre tunnel intended to provide an alternative route to the congested Gympie Road corridor.
Discussion about the project’s timeline intensified after Cr Adrian Schrinner indicated in his budget speech that the tunnel would be among the first major infrastructure projects to get underway after the 2032 Games. While no formal construction schedule has been released, the remarks have prompted renewed debate about when the project might move beyond the planning stage.
Timeline in focus
The proposed tunnel was a key transport commitment ahead of the 2024 state election and has been promoted as a way to ease congestion along one of Brisbane’s busiest arterial roads.
Opposition Leader Steven Miles argued the comments suggested northside motorists could face years of additional traffic delays before any major construction begins.
Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg did not provide a specific timeframe for the project when responding to questions about the remarks. Instead, he said planning work was continuing.
Labor transport spokesman Bart Mellish also questioned the project’s future delivery schedule, pointing to planning and pre-construction funding allocated in previous budgets that is due to reach the end of its current funding period.
In response, Cr Schrinner’s office said the comments reflected the reality that major underground infrastructure projects often require lengthy planning and construction timeframes before they can be delivered.
Proposed route from Kedron to Carseldine
The Gympie Road Bypass Tunnel would be a two-lane tolled bypass extending between Kedron and Carseldine. The project was announced in June 2024 and has been progressed by North Brisbane Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Queensland Investment Corporation.
The bypass has been proposed as a way of reducing congestion along Gympie Road, one of Queensland’s busiest road corridors. Traffic bottlenecks are particularly common around intersections including Stafford Road, Rode Road, Hamilton Road and Beams Road.
The project could affect communities along the corridor, including Kedron, Chermside, Aspley and Carseldine, depending on its final design and delivery.
Read: Public Consultation Opens on Proposed Gympie Road Bypass Tunnel
Planning review continues
Transport and Main Roads is currently reviewing planning work previously undertaken by Queensland Investment Corporation after responsibility for the project transferred on 1 July 2025.
The department has not yet announced a construction timetable and says the review process is continuing. With planning still underway and no construction timetable announced, the project’s next stages remain subject to the ongoing review process.
Published 24-June-2026
