Big changes are coming to Queensland’s Temporary Traffic Management (TTM) guidelines in March 2025. If you’re in civil construction, traffic control, or infrastructure delivery, you’ll want to take a close look. The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has overhauled large sections of the Queensland MUTCD and QGTTM, and these updates will directly affect how you plan, sign, and manage your worksites.
This blog breaks down the changes in plain English—what’s new, why it matters, and what you need to do before 31 March 2025 to stay compliant and contract-ready.
Why this update matters
Let’s start with the big picture. These changes aren’t just minor edits or rewording. They’re designed to lift the bar across the whole industry—clearer rules, tougher expectations, and less room for guesswork.
Over the years, TMR and local councils have seen too many variations in signage setups, unclear TMPs, and inconsistent use of portable traffic devices. The March 2025 update is a hard reset. It introduces stricter sign placement standards, tighter tolerances, more prescriptive risk assessments, and a whole new way of thinking about multi-message signs.
If you work on Queensland roads, this affects you.
The main documents being updated
Several core manuals and specifications are being refreshed, including:
- Queensland MUTCD Part 3
- Queensland Guide to Temporary Traffic Management (QGTTM) Parts 2–8
- Guideline – Traffic Management at Works on Roads
- MRTS02 and MRTS14 specs
These updates become live and enforceable from 31 March 2025.
Key changes at a glance
Here’s a quick overview of the most significant changes:
- Stricter sign spacing rules and tolerances for TGS designs
- Risk assessments and RPEQ certification now mandatory for variations
- Major changes to multi-message signage design and panel combinations
- New requirements for detour signage (including U-turns)
- Clearer rules for signage on side roads, cul-de-sacs and ‘no through’ roads
- Updated signage and guidance for speed limits, queue management, and PTCD use
- Dozens of new MMS sign panels added (including for events, cyclists, detours and hazards)
Let’s dive into a few of these in more detail.
Signage design and placement is now under the microscope
Gone are the days of “that’ll do” signage. From March, multi-message signs will need to follow tighter rules. For example, if you’re using a Speed Limit AHEAD or END Speed Limit panel in an MMS, it now must go in the top position, closest to traffic.
There are also clearer instructions on when and how to use ROADWORK AHEAD vs ROADWORK ON SIDE ROAD signs—especially if your work is on a cul-de-sac or only partially impacts a through road. Sign duplication and back-to-back layouts are now specifically covered, with diagrams included.
New signage for detours, U-turns and traffic flow
If your detour includes a U-turn, you’ll need to use specific new signs: TM5-1-Q01, TM5-1-Q02 or TM5-1-Q03. These panels help guide road users more clearly and reduce confusion—especially in urban areas where detours often rely on roundabouts or local streets.
Other new signs include updated GIVE WAY, ONE LANE, EVENT PARKING, CYCLISTS AHEAD, and a wide range of safety and enforcement panels for cameras, queue warnings, and hazard markers.
TMPs and risk assessments must now be more rigorous
One of the most important shifts is around accountability. Any variation from a ‘shall’ or ‘should’ requirement now needs a full risk assessment and often certification from a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) with TMD competency.
Designers also have to specify exact sign distances when tolerances could compound. If the on-site implementer (TMI) accidentally applies further tolerance to an already borderline setup, the whole site could fall out of compliance.
It’s a more disciplined approach that demands accurate planning from the outset.
End-of-queue (EOQ) protection is no longer optional
If you’re working in an 80 km/h+ zone, or anywhere visibility is limited, you must now use EOQ control measures. This could include reducing speed limits ahead of the queue, placing warning signs like “PREPARE TO STOP”, or adding an extra traffic controller.
There’s a detailed new section in QGTTM Part 3 that walks through when EOQ measures are mandatory and how they should be implemented. It even includes guidance on calculating expected queue length using actual traffic counts.
Changes to speed limit zones and signage
There are updated rules around how and where to place Speed Restriction signs—including the requirement to duplicate them on both sides of the road where practicable. There are also clearer expectations around when END Speed Limit signs must be used, and what default speeds apply after them (50 km/h in built-up areas or 100 km/h on open roads unless otherwise signed).
Repeater signs now must be placed every 500m on long or multi-lane roads, and variable speed limit signage (VSL) is encouraged where appropriate.
Vehicle-mounted signs and lighting upgrades
Vehicle-mounted warning devices (VMWDs) are now categorised into three types, with clear rules for each. For example, inspection vehicles will need to meet new visibility standards, including flashing lamps placed as high as possible and visible from all directions.
TMR has offered some leeway here—inspection vehicles have until 31 July 2027 to comply with these new requirements.
PTCD use and qualifications
Portable Traffic Control Devices (PTCDs), such as boom barriers or portable traffic signals, must now be operated by qualified personnel. If you’re using paired signals to manually manage shuttle flows, they should be set up in ‘paired mode’ using a single remote control. This prevents the risk of green lights showing to both directions at once.
Termination areas and sign positioning now clarified
TMR has added clearer instructions around END ROADWORK sign placement, especially when working on cul-de-sacs or intersections. The END sign should go just past the last impact point—whether that’s the end of queueing, the last taper, or the final reduced speed zone.
For roads with permanent 60 km/h zones, you still need to use an END ROADWORK sign if the site had an impact—like a queue or traffic control—on that section.
Clear zones, delineation, and star picket rules
The update now includes AASHTO-based clear zone guidance. Any equipment placed too close to live traffic lanes must either be frangible or protected by barriers. There are tables, diagrams and adjustment factors to help designers calculate lateral clearance for curved roads, fill slopes, and intersections.
Star pickets, often used for mesh fencing or signs, now come with stricter placement and capping rules. For example, they must not be used within 1 metre of a traffic lane where the speed limit is 80 km/h or higher.
So what now?
If you’re involved in traffic control, TMP design, or civil construction on Queensland roads, now’s the time to act. Review your templates, audit your current signage and TGS stock, retrain your team, and reach out to your RPEQ if you’re unsure about risk assessments or certification needs.
While the March deadline might feel far off, getting ready now will save you headaches later. Waiting until April 2025 to find out your site is non-compliant won’t just slow you down—it could cost you the job.
At East Coast Traffic Control, we’re already working through the changes—updating our TGS library, retraining supervisors, and liaising with councils and TMR to make sure we’re ahead of the curve.
If you’re a contractor or project manager needing help to align your TMPs and processes with the new standards, our compliance team is here to help.
FAQs
When do the new guidelines take effect?
The updated TTM guidelines come into force on 31 March 2025.
Do I need to change my existing TMPs?
Yes—TMR expects all active and upcoming projects to comply from March onwards, even if your TMP was approved under the old rules.
Are there penalties for non-compliance?
Yes. You could face delays, project shutdowns, or be excluded from council and state tenders.
Can I still use old signs?
Only if they meet the new placement, visibility, and compliance rules.
