‘Absolutely dumbfounded’: Major Kuranda range fix 30-years off

Far North leaders have been left “dumbfounded” by a new report stating no alternative route to address a crash-plagued bottleneck on the Kuranda range road will be needed for 30 years.

FAR North leaders have been left “dumbfounded” by a new report stating no alternative route to address a crash-plagued, economic bottleneck on the Kuranda range road will be needed for 30 years.

Released Friday the $1.6m Cairns to Northern Tablelands Access Strategy has been developed to “guide the planning delivery of future connectivity” of the four main routes from the coast to the Tablelands between Innisfail and Mossman.

The Northern Tablelands Access Strategy found on average the Kuranda Range Rd was closed 44 times a year for an average of duration of 6.6 hours.

The report states the Kuranda Range Rd will not reach full capacity until 2051 based on a one per cent growth rate. However critics of the glossy booklet say the road is at capacity now and the report was a stalling tactic to conceal a lack of enthusiasm to bankroll a costly long-term solution.

Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (FNQROC) executive officer Darlene Irvine had hoped for a real solutions to notoriously dangerous road identified as an Atherton Tableland bottleneck to economic growth.

“(Instead) I am absolutely gutted,” she said.

“I am absolutely dumbfounded as to how they have come up with 2051 before we are going to reach capacity.

“All those short-term solutions are just a delaying tactic so they can invest in SEQ.”

The report found on average the Kuranda route averaged 44 closures a year between 2015 and 2019, each of which had an average duration of 6.6 hours.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said information contained in the report points to “no clear technical justification for a major upgrade or construction of a new road along a new alignment.”

Including the “hideous cost” of an alternate route through the Dinden National Park known as the Bridal Track and work to get the currently disused Quaids Rd at Wangetti up to grade was not an option. Bridle Track champion and Kennedy MP Bob Katter said the report effectively strangled the Far North economy for the next 30 years.

“They tell us that a new road from Cairns to the Tablelands isn’t viable,” he said.

“But they are spending $6bn on the Cross River Rail to save Brisbane commuters five minutes, and are also spending billions on the Olympic Games in Brisbane, a sporting contest that will last two weeks.”

Aerial view of the Kennedy Highway snaking through World Heritage listed rainforest up the McAllister Range. This section of the highway is commonly referred to as the Kuranda Range Road, and is the main transport route from Cairns to the Atherton Tablelands. The route can be hazardous in wet weather, with the roadway becoming slippery and trees and rocks commonly falling over the road. Picture: Brendan Radke

While Advance Cairns executive officer Paul Sparshott applauded intelligent transport systems and mooted safety response teams he was “surprised” by a one per cent growth prediction.

“We’re hoping for higher growth, we’re pushing for higher growth,” he said.

“What is needed is a growth strategy for the whole of the region.”

A road safety traffic camera installed on the Kuranda Range section of the Kennedy Highway by the Queensland Government's Department of Transport and Main Roads. Picture: Brendan Radke

Barron River MP Craig Crawford conceded TMR didn’t have data on projected vehicle movements key to further an alternative access business case.

“I would be keen to see organisations like Advance Cairns working with Main Roads to share some of that data and some of that crystal ball,” he said.

The ageing Barron River bridge at Kuranda again has been cut to one lane until March.

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Originally published as ‘Absolutely dumbfounded’: Major Kuranda range fix 30-years off