Traffic control Townsville
In short: East Coast Traffic Control provides traffic control in Townsville from a depot at 19 Hammett Street, Currajong, led by Area Manager Ashley. We cover construction sites, Bruce Highway and TMR works, council streets, power and water jobs, events and flood response across Townsville, Thuringowa, Ingham, Ayr and Charters Towers, with plans built to Queensland MUTCD Part 3.
- Road authority
- TMR Northern District, Townsville City Council, Hinchinbrook Shire Council, Burdekin Shire Council and Charters Towers Regional Council
- Also covering
- Townsville City, Kirwan, Thuringowa, Aitkenvale, Garbutt, Bohle, Deeragun, Burdell, Mount Louisa, Douglas, Magnetic Island, Ingham, Ayr, Home Hill, Charters Towers
Traffic control for Townsville builders and contractors
Most of our Townsville work is construction and civil: builders with a site on a through road in Kirwan or Aitkenvale, concrete pours that need a lane held, crane lifts in the CBD, and subdivision works out at Burdell and Deeragun where the new estates meet the Bruce Highway. If your site affects a public road or footpath you need traffic control, and in Queensland that means a plan and a setup to the TMR Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices Part 3 (MUTCD Part 3), which adopts AS 1742.3 with Queensland variations.
We have written a longer guide for builders, Traffic control in Townsville: what builders need to know, on our news page. The short version: get us in before the pour or the lift is booked, because the permit and the scheme take longer than the setup does. A simple short-term lane closure on a council street can often be set up from a standard scheme; anything on the highway, near signals or running more than a few days needs its own design and lead time.
Which authority approves works on Townsville roads
The approving authority follows road ownership. Sites that span both need both.
| Road | Owner | What is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Bruce Highway, Flinders Highway, Townsville Ring Road, Woolcock Street (state roads) | TMR Northern District | TGS to TMR format plus TMR works permit where required |
| Local streets in Townsville City (e.g. Charters Towers Road, Ross River Road) | Townsville City Council | Council road works notification and permit conditions |
| Ingham, Ayr, Home Hill and Charters Towers local roads | Hinchinbrook, Burdekin and Charters Towers councils | Each council's own works permit |
Who we have worked for in Townsville and the north
Our Townsville crews have handled everything from a shopping centre opening to a remote TMR bridge inspection. In May 2023 we managed traffic and pedestrians for the Guzman y Gomez opening at Fairfield Waters. In September 2023 we controlled traffic around Centrogen Vegetation Management's hazard reduction burn at Blakeys Crossing in Bohle, where smoke across Garbutt and the airport approaches made visibility the main risk. In February 2025 crews from Townsville and Mackay ran a 255 metre dead lane with extended portable signal spacing at Spear Creek near Mount Isa for CMW Geoscience and TMR inspectors, and the job finished a day early.
Further west, our RPQ sealing works ran from west of Townsville out to Normanton, Camooweal, Mount Isa and Cloncurry, which is why we are comfortable quoting inland jobs that other Townsville providers will not touch. Our Ventia powerline work across Queensland depots is mostly reactive, short-notice work, and Townsville is part of that.
How coverage works from the Currajong depot
Our Townsville depot is at 19 Hammett Street, Currajong, near the Flinders Highway and Ingham Road. Ashley is the Area Manager for Townsville, and Nerolie runs the Mackay depot to the south, so a project that runs between the two cities can be raised with either of them. Townsville crews are local across Kirwan, Aitkenvale, Mount Louisa and the northern beaches suburbs, which keeps early starts realistic.
We regularly cover Ingham and Hinchinbrook to the north, Ayr and Home Hill in the Burdekin, and Charters Towers inland. Those are confirmed as travel jobs at quote time with the start time agreed up front. For multi-week inland work we can base a crew near the site, as we did at Spear Creek.
What to send for a Townsville quote
- Street address, or highway name and the nearest intersection or chainage
- Whether the road is TMR or council (if unsure, tell us the road name and we will check)
- Dates, hours, and whether the work is day, night or both
- The task: pour, lift, excavation, power works, event, inspection
- Any existing TMP or TGS, or whether you need one designed
- Site contact, principal contractor and any TMR or council reference numbers you already have
Jobs near Townsville
Common questions
Do I need a traffic management plan for a building site in Townsville?
If your site affects a public road or footpath, yes. Queensland requires works on roads to follow MUTCD Part 3, which means a traffic guidance scheme for the setup and a traffic management plan for anything beyond a simple short-term job. Townsville City Council and TMR both expect to see the plan before works start on their roads.
Who approves traffic control on the Bruce Highway through Townsville?
TMR's Northern District, because the Bruce Highway, Flinders Highway and Townsville Ring Road are state-controlled roads. We prepare the traffic guidance scheme to TMR's format and advise you on the works permit. Council streets that connect to the highway are approved separately by Townsville City Council.
Can you supply traffic control in Ingham, Ayr or Charters Towers?
Yes, all three are regular travel jobs from the Currajong depot. We confirm travel and start times when we quote. For work lasting more than a few days we can base a crew near the site, which we have done for inland TMR work well beyond Charters Towers.
What happens if the Bruce Highway floods during my project?
We stand crews down safely and keep them available for closure points, detours and the repair works that follow. During the February 2025 floods our North Queensland crews supported access to Ingham and the Ollera Creek and Paluma Range Road damage. Build weather days into any wet season program and tell us early.
Do you do night works and TMA protected works in Townsville?
Yes. Night shifts on the Bruce Highway and Ring Road are common and we scope lighting, retroreflective signage and attenuation into the quote. ECTC holds TMA (truck mounted attenuator) accreditation for high-speed works. See night works for what a night setup involves.
Nearby locations
Need crews in Townsville?
Send the job and your local Area Manager takes it from there, day or night.