General News
4 November, 2025
Project to target congested Walsh Street
WORK on the Walsh Street upgrade could begin as early as the new year, following calls for tenders to complete the congestion-riddled thoroughfare.
The work would include installation of underground stormwater, a full upgrade of the roundabout, formalisation of traffic islands and medians, reconfiguration of the pedestrian crossing, and improved street lighting, footpaths and landscaping, according to Mareeba Shire Council.
Some changes to parking will also be made to support the safety improvements.
The tenders cover the area from the Walsh/Rankin Street roundabout and part of Walsh Street between Rankin and Herberton Streets.
The notorious traffic spot has been in the council’s sights since 2019, when it introduced some safety changes to help ease congestion and improve safety.
“Since then, council has monitored how those changes have performed while developing the design for a long-term solution and seeking funding to deliver it,” a council spokesperson said.
“Over the years, council has also worked closely with the local businesses in the project area to understand how the changes affect access, parking, and pedestrian safety.
“Their feedback has helped shape the current design, along with findings from stormwater modelling undertaken for the Mareeba CBD Blueprint and further community input through the Blueprint and the Mareeba Walking Network Plan.”
If tenders are awarded later this year, works are expected to begin from March 2026.
In the meantime, the pedestrian crossing on Atherton and Walsh Streets is also having its existing signage improved for safety.
Discussing the adoption of the Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC) report at the council’s October meeting, Deputy Mayor Lenore Wyatt said “concerns about pedestrian crossing safety had been going on for quite a while, and were getting louder”.
A council officer told the meeting that existing signage would be made more visible and should be completed by the end of the calendar year.
Other highlights in the TAC report were a speed review at Emerald End Road which was now being considered by Queensland Police and Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) advisory committee.
“And we’re all a bit excited about the sealing of the Burke Development Road between Almaden and Chillagoe,” Cr Wyatt said.
“So, we’ve just asked TMR for updates. We’re hoping that that is still on the table.”
Mayor Angela Toppin noted that “it was a big one for Cr Davies (referring to the late Kevin Davies), that 3.5 km - he was pushing so hard on that.”
Other issues raised in the report included:
Dilapidated tourist signs on state-controlled roads. TMR told the committee it had contacted most business owners and would arrange replacement signs or removal.
The traffic build-up on the Kennedy Hwy (Mareeba-Atherton) – McIver Road intersection, where vehicles turning south from McIver Road are causing congestion with traffic backed up to the school during peak times. There has been a request for a slip lane for drivers wanting to turn north.
A request has been made to provide pedestrians with a safe crossing on Main St, Mt Molloy. Council emailed TMR in July advising there was no provision for pedestrians although there are footpaths on both sides of the road. Vehicle speed management in this section was also a concern.
