The government of Queensland in Australia is to spend AU$174.7m (£93m) expediting a number of road safety projects.

Queensland’s minister for transport and main roads Mark Bailey said that the funding will enable almost 50 additional upgrades to be completed in the next 12 months.

The announcement builds on AU$296.25m in joint funding announced in January this year to accelerate the delivery of almost 100 Queensland road safety projects.

Deputy prime minister and minister for infrastructure, transport and regional development Barnaby Joyce said: “The funding supports the fast roll-out of life-saving safety works on rural and regional roads, and is another example of the Australian Government working to reduce the number of Australians missing around the dinner table due to tragedies on our roads.”

Queensland transport and main roads minister Mark Bailey said the additional funding was part of the state government’s plan to tackle road safety, while creating more jobs. "We now have almost $475 million in joint funding announced since the start of the year being rolled out across the state for almost 140 projects, with construction works fast-tracked to provide investment certainty and job security in communities across the state," he said. “A total of 45 new projects are now being rolled out across the state, with construction works fast-tracked for completion.

Schemes will include better rest facilities, intersection upgrades, new barriers, extra street lighting and overtaking lanes, audio tactile line-marking and wide centre-line treatments on high-risk roads across the state.

“This second round of funding is estimated to support an average of 535 direct jobs over the life of the programme of works, with the majority of jobs created in regional Queensland, part of our Covid-19 economic recovery plan,” he said. “We are focused on making roads safer, while supporting employment in regional communities.”

Queensland assistant regional roads minister Bruce Saunders said: “These projects will add to the record $27.5 billion in roads and transport projects being delivered by the Palaszczuk Government over the next four years, creating 24,000 jobs.”