Almost $49 million in works is being undertaken to build back better on eight state-controlled roads damaged by ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Works will be delivered through the 2023–24 Betterment Fund, which is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper and the subsequent catastrophic flooding caused the most significant damage across Far North Queensland since Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi in 2011.
The betterment works will be delivered along with current reconstruction projects and aim to minimise future damage from severe weather and reduce road closures during and after disasters, including:
- · Pavement resilience and sealing over seven kilometres of existing gravel on Forsayth Road
- · Constructing six additional floodways on the Burke Developmental Road, west of Chillagoe
- · Drainage improvements at key sections on the Mulligan Highway
- · Improving drainage, pavement and slope resilience at multiple sites along the Captain Cook Highway
- · Upgrading drainage at multiple sections of the Kennedy Highway (Kuranda Range Road)
- · Improving drainage and pavement resilience at multiple sites along Mossman-Mount Molloy Road
- · Improving pavement resilience and drainage at multiple sites along Mossman-Daintree Road.
- · Installing new drainage and pavement resilience at priority sections of Stratford Connection Road.
The betterment projects are targeted to commence from late-2025/early 2026 and will be completed simultaneously with the ongoing reconstruction works.
Ongoing reconstruction works on Kuranda Range Road and Captain Cook highway are also progressing.
Geotechnical investigations and detailed design have been completed across many of the 100-plus damage sites on Kuranda Range Road and Captain Cook Highway, to allow construction to commence.
Eight sites have been repaired, including two major downslope slip sites on Kuranda Range Road, and work is now underway on another 10 sites.
On the Captain Cook Highway, stabilisation works have been completed at two high priority downslope sites, with work progressing on more than 20 geotechnical sites along the Highway.
The fund is part of our $450 million commitment over five years to improve the State’s resilience to natural disaster.
For more information Far North Queensland cyclone reconstruction works | Department of Transport and Main Roads
