The Captain Cook, Gillies and Palmerston Highways as well as the Kuranda Range section of the Kennedy Highway in Far North Queensland are important routes for road transport and are used by hundreds of trucks daily.
Each was severely damaged after Cyclone Jasper devastated the region and all were closed for some time.
They are important links for travel between Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands, Port Douglas, Mossman and further north.
Cyclone Jasper, which formed on December 4, 2023, and dumped heavy rain for 11 days, was the wettest tropical cyclone in Australian history, surpassing Cyclone Peter of 1979.
I drove all four of these major freight routes a year later to see how the repairs are going and found work being carried out with speed restrictions on all of them and night closures on the winding 15km Kuranda Range.
Moving forward into 2025 I contacted Transport and Main Roads to find out what work will be ongoing to return the highways to normal.
TMR reported it is moving into the reconstruction phase of the Tropical Cyclone Jasper recovery project.
Emergency works were completed in mid-2024 to ensure roads remained open. Additional work behind the scenes has included: detailed surveys, geotechnical investigations, planning, detailed designs and engaging suitable qualified contractors.
Contracts have been awarded to four organisations which will reconstruct priority routes damaged by TC Jasper and associated flooding.
“These are Palmerston Highway, Captain Cook Highway, Kuranda Range Road and Mossman-Mount Molloy Road (Rex Range), identified as the highest priority for the critical role they play in connecting communities. There are a number of sites across the district that have changed traffic conditions including single lane closures and reduced speed limits, for the safety of road workers and road users. These will remain in place until the roads are returned to pre-cyclone function,” a TMR spokesman said.
Kuranda Range
I found the Kuranda Range Road the most challenging to drive along and this sentiment was also shared by numerous truckies I spoke to.
As I drove along it you could see evidence of where landslides had created havoc and this can be a dangerous route especially during and after rain.
“We have over 30 sites requiring geotechnical engineering, the majority of these are on the Kuranda Range,” the spokesmand said.
“Work has commenced on three priority sites on Kuranda Range Road, including two which are currently under single lane traffic control.
“The contract for the reconstruction works has been awarded to SEE Civil Pty Ltd. Night closures are currently in place from 9pm to 4am.
“Closures started on 24 November and ran until 20 December pending weather and site conditions.
“There are no closures on Friday and Saturday nights.”
Palmerston Highway
Works on the Palmerston Range are anticipated to start February 2025 — pending weather and favourable site conditions.
“We are anticipating single lane access for most of the duration of those works,” the TMR spokesman said.
This road stretches from the northern outskirts of Innisfail to the Atherton tablelands and offers scenic views.
Captain Cook Highway
This route covers the outskirts of Cairns to Mossman and of all I travelled, this had the most work being undertaken with lots of one lane closures and speed restrictions.
“There are over 50 geotechnical failure sites on Captain Cook Highway requiring engineering solutions. Planning and designing solutions for these sites took about 11 months,” the spokesman said.
“Work began in late 2024, and continues in 2025, sites and weather conditions permitting. Larger works requiring full night closures will commence in 2025 – the public will be notified of these closures when the schedule of works is finalised.”
Gillies Highway
This is a winding road with hundreds of bends and runs from just past Gordonvale to the Atherton Tablelands.
Of the four this was the easiest to negotiate with some work but few closures.
Other roads
Works to repair cyclone damage on other state-controlled roads in the district including Mulligan Highway and Peninsula Developmental Road will be delivered after the 2025 wet season.
“To date, almost $80 million has been spent on emergency works and critical stabilisation works following TC Jasper to keep the state road network safe and open while TMR plans and designs the permanent reconstruction works.
“Due to the significant damage and complex geotechnical solutions required, it’s too early to speculate on final costs of the reconstruction program until the scope of works is finalised.
“All works are targeted to be completed by mid-2026, site and weather conditions and construction constraints permitting,” the spokesman said.
The recovery works are jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).