Barron River Bridge completion set for 2031 but Kuranda Range Rd capacity fine: Minister

Advocates for a new route between Cairns and the Tablelands will have to change gears with their strategy after the LNP jumped into Labor’s lane on the future of the Kuranda Range Rd.

Barron River Mp Bree James, transport minister Brent Mickelberg and Cook MP David Kempton below the Barron River Bridge while speaking about the details of the new $490m structure.

Advocates for an alternative route between Cairns and the Tablelands will have to change gears with their strategy after the LNP jumped into Labor’s lane on the future of the Kuranda Range Rd.

But the state government has committed to delivering a new $490m Barron River Bridge by 2031, with transport minister Brent Mickelberg declaring the detailed design process would begin immediately.

“Engineers will design right down to the last bolt to build this bridge in the most cost effective way,” Mr Mickelberg said.

“We’re confident the funding we’ve allocated will get this bridge built.”

An early concept image of the potential design for the new Barron River Bridge, released in June, 2025.

Mr Mickelberg said engineers and designers would have to nagivate sensitive environmental challenges, but didn’t want to see bureaucracy getting in the way.

“We will work in a collaborative and constructive way with the federal government... by the same token, I don’t want to see bureaucracy stifling projects for the sake of it.

“The commitments that I have from my federal colleagues in Catherine King is they are committed to addressing some of those time frames (on transport projects) that have lengthened.”

But for Far North motorists frustrated by the Kuranda Range Rd’s average of 44 closures per year lasting about 6.6 hours each, there was little sympathy from the new government.

Barron River MP Bree James, transport minister Brent Mickelberg and Cook MP David Kempton below the Barron River Bridge while speaking about the details of the new $490m structure.

Mr Mickelberg said he too was supportive of the 2022, Labor-commissioned Northern Tablelands Access Strategy which found the road would not reach capacity until 2051.

‘‘I’ve asked questions and got advice, and it’s pretty clear that this road doesn’t have the capacity constraints in terms of the expected development in this part of the world,” he said.

“What is the issue here right now is the reliability question, and there’s also a question with the ability to support the loads (such as) produce from the Tablelands down to the coast and vice versa. So that’s what we’re solving here with the new Baron River Bridge.”

Cook MP David Kempton ruled out supporting a new alternative Cairns-Tablelands route, suggesting they were all “very expensive and a long way into the future”.

Work to fix the downslope slip at Streets Creek. Picture: TMR

He said the solution for frustrated freight movers would be greater investment into inland routes.

“I think the answer might be the internal roads are not necessary this one (the Kuranda Range Rd, it will work for the time being.

“With the long term future we probably need a freight route more directed towards the inland options.”

Mr Kempton said he believed the Department of Transport already had money within its budgets to study alterative routes, when asked about the Far North’s push for a $22m business case, but said a new “regional roads advisory” group would also be established to help the government “prioritise options of expenditure”.

Mr Mickelberg said the ongoing repair works on the Kuranda Range Rd were expected for completion by mid-2026.

Originally published as Barron River Bridge completion set for 2031 but Kuranda Range Rd capacity fine: Minister