Cape roads. Frontier slowly tamed as TMR hit PDR safety milestones

Construction of a new bridge is the latest road upgrade milestone to tame a wild Cape York frontier as TMR weighs in on the contentious crossing of the Jardine River. Find out what else is on the cards here.

Construction of a 90-metre-bridge spanning Saltwater Creek near the Musgrave Roadhouse is the latest road upgrade milestone to tame a wild Cape York frontier as Transport and Main Roads weigh in on the contentious crossing of the Jardine River.

Under a $237.5m Stage 2 Cape York Region Package, only 145km of the 571km Peninsula Developmental Road will remain unsealed.

Completed by RoadTek in August 2022, the bridge across Saltwater Creek is now open to motorists and replaces the low-level causeway. Picture: TMR

A 200km sealed section of the PDR between Merluna and York Downs was completed this month and the opening of a new Saltwater Creek bridge – replacing a low-level causeway – marked the most significant project milestone to date.

Contractors McConnell Dowell are currently building a 230m bridge across the notoriously dangerous Archer River, 60km north of Coen, in a project expected to be complete in 2023, weather and conditions permitting.

The Archer River claimed another victim earlier this year when an impatient motorist tried to cross floodwaters measured at 600mm over the causeway. Picture: Mick Atkin

Further north, construction on the Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council section of Portland Roads Rd is also under way and set to open to traffic later this year.

Work on the Cook Shire Council section of the road is expected to start in the 2023-24 financial year.

Work being done to seal the Peninsula Development Rd.

Sharing the cost of upgrades to State Route 81 in a 80:20 state federal split, Federal Transport Minister Catherine King said safety and reliability was the focus of improved river crossings.

“Anyone who knows Cape York will understand the PDR will always be prone to flooding and closures,” she said.

“The construction of the first bridge under this package is a positive step towards easing floodwater levels and road closures during the prolonged wet season each year.”

Cars waiting to cross the peninsula’s Jardine River.

Increasing by $10 in 2022 to $110 per car, the cost of the Jardine River ferry at the gateway to the northern peninsular area sparked conversations about the viability of a bridge across the waterway.

However a TMR spokesman stated the Northern Peninsula Rd is a local government road under the jurisdiction of Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council.

“Any proposal to build a bridge over Jardine River would need to be driven by council,” the spokesman said.

In 2022 the Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council increased the cost of ferry passage across the Jardine River from $100 to $110 per car.

“We are not involved in how ferry fees are set, collected or distributed.”

From the Laura turn-off, there were 4074 vehicles recorded travelling on the PDR between May 1 and September 30 this year, according to an official TMR count.

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Originally published as Cape roads. Frontier slowly tamed as TMR hit PDR safety milestones