Community & Business
18 November, 2024
Repairs to finally start on range road
LONG-awaited works to repair significant damage to the Kuranda Range Road by extreme rainfall associated with Cyclone Jasper nearly a year ago are finally starting.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is due to start reconstruction works this week at locations that are currently under single lane traffic control as well as areas where landslips have occurred.
Assessments have identified more than 30 landslips that require upslope and downslope reconstruction works and TMR says a variety of geotechnical controls will be delivered to
stabilise the sites.
TMR says most of the work will be carried out at night, between 7pm and 5am, to minimise the impact upon commuters and heavy transport but some work may be required during the day.
Full road closures will be in place nightly with the range closing at 9pm and reopening at 4am from Sunday 24 November to Friday 6 December, except on Friday or Saturday nights.
Traffic will be let through from the top of Kuranda Range Road at 11.30pm and from the bottom (Smithfield) at midnight.
Road users are advised they need to be in the queue by these times as traffic will only be let through once in each direction for as long as it takes to clear the queued vehicles, then the road will close again in that direction until 4am.
In advice to the public, TMR says the works will not be completed for at least 18 months, but stated that extensive geotechnical investigations and significant work on detailed design had already been done in readiness for the on-ground works.
“Since the completion of the emergency repair phase, works including ongoing surveying and geotechnical inspections, planning, detailed design and engaging contractors through a tender and contract award process have been carried out,” the statement advised.
“This takes a considerable amount of time given there are more than 30 sites requiring engineering solutions on the Kuranda Range Road in addition to other high priority sites along other important state-controlled roads.
“TMR completed the pre-reconstruction requirements for Kuranda Range Road in approximately 11 months. While this timeframe may seem long, for planned major construction projects, these tasks would typically take two to three years.”
For more information, contact TMR Cairns by email at cairns.office@tmr.qld.gov.au or telephone 1800 187 937.
