Bruce Highway Southbound Lanes Reopen After Truck with Excavator Strikes Bridge

The southbound lanes of the Bruce Highwayn, one of Queensland’s busiest transport corridors, have reopened at the Ilkley Road overpass near Tanawha after being closed earlier on Friday, 6 February 2026, following a truck collision with an overhead bridge.

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The closure had caused widespread traffic delays and significant disruption for commuters and freight operators on the Sunshine Coast.

Shortly before 9:00 a.m., a truck transporting an excavator was heading southbound on the Bruce Highway when the heavy machinery struck the underside of the Ilkley Road overpass bridge in the Tanawha area.

The bridge which has a posted clearance limit  sustained structural damage, and chunks of concrete and debris fell onto the highway, blocking the southbound carriageway.

No injuries were reported at the scene, though paramedics assessed the truck driver and another occupant as a precaution. 

Queensland Police and emergency services quickly closed the southbound lanes and diverted traffic via local roads such as Maroochydore Road and the Sunshine Motorway to manage the resulting congestion. 

After hours of lane closure and debris clearance, the southbound lanes were reopened later in the evening, restoring traffic flow on the major highway.

The reopening came after initial inspections and preliminary safety checks that allowed authorities to temporarily permit southbound travel. 

However, speed restrictions remain in place through the affected section while engineers carry out more detailed structural assessments of the bridge and surrounding infrastructure.

Motorists are advised to drive cautiously and allow extra travel time, as further adjustments may be required pending repair works. 

Transport and Main Roads engineers have been dispatched to the site to evaluate the extent of bridge damage and determine the next steps for full repairs.

The Ilkley Road overpass has suffered significant wear from the impact, and while traffic flow has resumed, the structure remains under close observation. 

Police confirmed that the excavator’s boom may have been raised too high for the clearance, leading to the collision.

The driver is cooperating with authorities, and mandatory driver testing is underway as part of the crash investigation.