General News
27 January, 2024
Highway to paradise
THE Captain Cook Highway between Buchan Point and Oak Beach has reopened, progress is going well on single-lane construction on the Palmerston Highway and 39 of the 61 damaged sites on the Kuranda Scenic Railway have been cleared.
The Cook Highway or Great Barrier Reef Drive opened at 8am last Saturday with a long stream of tradies, freight trucks and tourists heading north and south on the vital coastal link between Port Douglas and Cairns.
Most drivers were reporting travelling times of 45-60 minutes between Port Douglas and Palm Cove.
The reopening reconnected local communities ahead of the school year and allowed freight and other critical supplies to move between Cairns and Port Douglas. Several single-lane sections of the road will remain under traffic control.
Acting Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Stewart said recovery crews involving 100 people and 65 pieces of machinery had to clear a large number of landslips and remove significant amounts of mud and debris totalling 30,000 tonnes.
“All of the smaller slips have been cleared with about 75 per cent of the larger slips cleared and ready for stabilisation activities if required,” he said.
“A total of 48 water structures (culverts) were either blocked with debris or required emergency repairs, with emergency works undertaken on about 70 per cent of the culverts so far.”
Road users are advised to expect some delays due to traffic control in single lane sections of the Captain Cook Highway and are reminded to check QldTrafffic.com.au for the latest road updates.
Meanwhile, Queensland Rail crews are working tirelessly to bring back Far North Queensland’s most iconic rail service, the Kuranda Scenic Rail to full timetable, following substantial damage caused by ex-tropical cyclone Jasper.
Queensland Rail chief executive Kat Stapleton said by late February, with the implementation of a track deviation, it is hoped to run one return Kuranda Scenic Rail service on the weekends.
By April it was expected the full timetable will resume.
