Rain deluge unveils major road damages on key Qld routes

Severely impacted roads in Central Queensland were inundated by repeated and extended rain events between May 8-24.

Motorists have been dodging potholes that could "almost swallow you" on the Bruce Highway in the Rockhampton, Gladstone and Livingstone Regional Council areas with TMR undertaking emergent repairs between Marlborough, north of Rockhampton and the Kolan River in the south.

While nothing can be done about the rain, AgForce's cattle president Will Wilson said a more thoughtful and holistic approach was required to future flood proof regional and rural roads.

"All three levels of government need to have a long-term strategy to ensure investment into these roads are maintained," Mr Wilson said.

"From a rural and regional perspective, there's no excuse as a ratepayer not to be able to use our local roads safely and that's unforgivable for a period of time.

"The federal government's flood funding has been around since 2013, and it has shown strength on the roads that have been done, but the recent deluge has unveiled a lot of roads that are maybe less maintain."

A Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said the department was making every effort to act on reports of damage from the public as quickly and safely as possible.

"The continuous nature of the rain has limited the scope and effectiveness of the initial repairs, with pothole patching problematic in the torrential rain from both a safety and effectiveness perspective," the spokesperson said.

"Where it is not possible to undertake repairs immediately, crews are assessing the need for temporary warning signs. Our main priority is to ensure the road network is safely back up and running as soon as possible."

The spokesperson said extended rain meant that potholes would sometimes be unavoidable.

"Potholes are caused by moisture entering and weakening a road's surface," the spokesperson said.

"Rainwater can enter the road from either direct pooling or from traffic consistently pushing water through the surface.

"After a rain event it can take time for roads to recover, and we are urging people to avoid any non-essential travel.

"This will also allow our road and emergency crews to have a clear path to assess damage."