Kuranda Range, Barron River Bridge and highway fix: How national highway could be key

A clever way to get the Barron River Bridge fixed, a second Kuranda Range crossing and highway fixes all the way to Mareeba is gaining momentum – and it has been done before.

A CLEVER way to get the Barron River Bridge fixed, a second Kuranda Range crossing and highway fixes all the way to Mareeba is gaining momentum – and it has been done before.

Attempts to secure funds to upgrade the diabolic link between Cairns and the Tablelands have repeatedly failed for decades on end.

State governments have either lacked the funds or the appetite – but another tried-and-true method could finally bear fruit.

Back in 2018, the city was tired of persistent knock-backs for state funds to build the Cairns Ring Road, so a campaign to reclassify a stretch of the Captain Cook Highway to a national highway was launched.

The Kennedy Highway bridge over the Barron River, near the town of Kuranda. Picture: Brendan Radke

MORE NEWS

YOU DECIDE: Which stadium plan should Cairns get behind?

Today in Cairns: Crash sends two to hospital

Dangerous sex offender to remain under supervision

A deal was struck in 2019 with the road through to Smithfield added to the National Land Transport Network, and within months there was a $370m commitment to duplicate the highway with the Federal Government picking up 80 per cent of the bill.

Far North leaders have recognised that success and want to replicate it for another of our region’s most disastrous roads.

A fallen tree on the Kuranda Range Road – a common occurrence.

Advance Cairns CEO Dr Paul Sparshott said it was time to get the national highway extended from its current terminus at the Smithfield roundabout to the next natural major intersection point – where the Kennedy and Mulligan highways met at Mareeba.

“Rather than beat our heads trying to get the state to do it – and as we know, they are very short of money – we should be trying to redesignate the road,” he said.

“We’ve done that once before, lobbied for a change in category, and we were successful.”

The road is shared between the Leichhardt and Kennedy electorates, both of which will be important to the next federal election regardless of its outcome.

Emergency Services at the scene of a single-vehicle rollover on the Kennedy Highway at Koah. Picture: Kuranda Range Updates / Christine Lawson

National highway classification would mean the road would be eligible for 80c from the dollar in federal funding, with the State Government picking up the 20 per cent shortfall.

Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils executive officer Darlene Irvine said the plan made a lot of sense.

“At the moment, the State Government is spending millions of dollars just to delay on really doing anything,” she said.

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, west to the Gulf and north to Cape York. Thousands of cars, tourist coaches and trucks traverse the Kuranda Range Road each day. 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

“They’ve still got the Cairns to Northern Tablelands Access Study, which is $1.6m, the Barron River Bridge has a $2.1m planning study … they’re all just delay tactics to put it off for another three years before doing anything.

“We need to consider the whole corridor.

“My long-term view is that the national highway should go from that Smithfield roundabout all the way to Weipa.”

Follow @chriscalcino

Originally published as Kuranda Range, Barron River Bridge and highway fix: How national highway could be key