Between the commencement of the route at Riverview and Ripley Road at Flinders View, the highway is a 4 lane dual carriageway, constructed to Motorway standard with a speed limit of 100, and grade-separated interchanges.

The present route, consisting of a further modern deviation takes the highway south of Willowbank and RAAF Base Amberley through the Scenic Rim region including the towns and settlements of Warrill View, the Fassifern Valley and Aratula.

[2][11] The Scenic Rim section of the Highway is 2 lanes each way with at-grade intersections, no emergency shoulders and varying speed limits.

This would likely result in motorway standard construction being extended from Yamanto to Clarrie Hall's Road, South of Willowbank.

From this point, the Cunningham Highway begins its ascent across the Great Dividing Range via a mountain pass at an elevation of 787 metres (2,582 ft) above sea level called Cunninghams Gap, situated in the Main Range National Park, between the peaks of Mount Cordeaux and Mount Mitchell.

[12] A project to upgrade the intersection with the New England Highway east of Warwick, at a cost of $25 million, was due for completion in August 2022.

[13] A project to reconstruct sections of the highway at Cunninghams Gap following bushfire damage, at a cost of $84.27 million, was due to start construction in early 2022.