20-634: The Kuranda Range road is an informally named section of the Kennedy Highway in Queensland, Australia. The road traverses the Macalister Range near Cairns ( 16°50′18″S 145°40′21″E / 16.83833°S 145.67250°E / -16.83833; 145.67250 ). The 11.5 kilometres (7.1 mi) section of road connects Smithfield , a suburb of Cairns in the Cairns Region with Kuranda ,
40-451: A cost of $ 45 million, was expected to complete in early 2023. Gulf Developmental Road Gulf Developmental Road is an Australian highway linking the Cairns and Normanton regions in northern Queensland , Australia. It is the only sealed ( asphalt ) road linking these two regions, and is designated Highway 1 in the Queensland part of the national Highway 1 network . In the east,
60-604: A section of the Kennedy Developmental Road between The Lynd and Hughenden at a cost of $ 50 million is planned to be completed by mid-2023. This project is targeted for "early works" by the Queensland Government. A project to strengthen and widen about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of the road (Outback Way) between Winton and Boulia, at a cost of $ 4.825 million, was completed in September 2020. A project to plan
80-527: A town in the Shire of Mareeba on the Atherton Tableland , at an altitude of about 360 metres (1,180 ft). Traffic is primarily limited to one lane each way, with overtaking lanes at various points. The Kuranda Skyrail cableway crosses the road twice. Henry Ross Lookout is located near the road's highest point, at an altitude of 430 metres (1,410 ft), and is named after the foreman in charge of building
100-704: Is currently lacking as to the cause, but it is believed likely that the anomaly was caused by an asteroid strike that happened about 300 million years ago. Two northern councils ( Etheridge and Flinders ) have proposed development of the Hann Highway which would allow for the transport of products from Far North Queensland to markets in New South Wales and Victoria considerably quicker than via existing coastal routes which have rougher terrain and are sometimes impassable due to floods. The Northern Australia Roads Program announced in 2016 included two projects for
120-472: Is mostly unsealed and is also known as the Hann Highway. For a distance of more than 100 km, from the crossing on the Diamantina River to a point southwest of Middleton , the Kennedy Developmental Road passes across a roughly circular zone measuring some 130 km (81 mi) across that has been identified by Geoscience Australia as a crustal anomaly, the Diamantina River ring feature . Proof
140-465: Is sealed for its full length, but as of 2018 there were many sections of the road which were only single-lane bitumen, with gravel shoulders are gravel, requiring vehicles to move partly onto the shoulders. These sections extend between points about 55 km (34 mi) west of Georgetown and 20 km (12 mi) west of Mount Surprise . Towns along the route include Mount Surprise , Georgetown and Croydon . There are no other communities along
160-659: The Gulf Developmental Road to Normanton . From Smithfield, the highway climbs up into the Atherton Tableland before heading in a general south-westerly direction to the aforementioned junction. The highway is mostly two-lanes. Major towns on, or just off, the Kennedy Highway include Smithfield , Kuranda , Mareeba , Atherton , Ravenshoe and Mount Garnet . Past Mount Garnet, the Kennedy Highway has several long sections of single lane bitumen. The section between The Lynd Roadhouse junction at Conjuboy and Hughenden
180-543: The Barron River bridge and approaches widened. In the years since, the range road has been improved, widened and re-surfaced many times. [REDACTED] Australian Roads portal 16°51′03″S 145°41′13″E / 16.85083°S 145.68694°E / -16.85083; 145.68694 Kennedy Highway The Kennedy Highway is a highway in northern Queensland , Australia. It runs as National Route 1 for approximately 243 km from Smithfield , on
200-546: The Cairns to Northern Territory border corridor, including the Gulf Developmental Road and surrounding state and council roads, at an estimated cost of $ 62.5 million, was commenced in 2020, with planning continuing. A project for pavement strengthening and widening of sections of the Gulf Developmental Road between Mount Garnet and Croydon at a cost of $ 21.5 million was planned to be completed by mid-2022. This project
220-507: The Gulf Developmental Road begins at an unnamed junction on the southern edge of Forty Mile Scrub National Park , 241 km (150 mi) south-west of Cairns. It runs west before terminating at its junction with the Burke Developmental Road 7 km (4.3 mi) south of Normanton, a total distance of 442 km (275 mi). It links Cairns and Normanton, and is the only sealed ( asphalt ) road linking these two regions. It
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#1732854717736240-491: The Kennedy Developmental Road. The project for widening a section of road from a one-lane seal to a two-lane seal between Mount Garnet and The Lynd was completed in early 2018 at a total cost of $ 3.3 million. The project for upgrading sections of the road between The Lynd and Hughenden was completed in early 2020 at a total cost of $ 47.9 million. The Roads of Strategic Importance initiative, last updated in March 2022, includes
260-454: The campsite for the second stage of the road into Kuranda. At the time of construction there was a low-level bridge over the Barron River to allow access to rainforest timbers on the eastern side of the river. On completion, the gravel road was predominantly a dual carriageway, however there were parts that were of one-way standard due to their roughness. In 1944 the road was reconditioned, and
280-503: The following projects for the Kennedy Developmental Road. A lead project to upgrade the Queensland section of the Tennant Creek to Townsville corridor, including sections of the Barkly and Flinders Highways, the Kennedy Developmental Road and surrounding state and council roads, at an estimated cost of $ 250 million, was in the planning stage in 2020. A project for progressive sealing of
300-688: The new road took a far more circuitous route. The Queensland Main Roads Commission surveyed, planned and constructed the Cairns-Kuranda road. The initial survey work was undertaken by the Commission Engineer A.J. Bond in 1939 in order to determine whether a grade was feasible. Henry Ross was appointed foreman. Single and married men's quarters were also established where the Smithfield Shopping Centre now stands. About 100 men built
320-484: The northern outskirts of Cairns , to the Gulf Developmental Road in the vicinity of Forty Mile Scrub and Undara Volcanic national parks (at Minnamoolka , about 40 kilometres south of Mount Garnet ). South of this junction, the road continues as the Kennedy Developmental Road (State Highway 62) to Boulia about 936 kilometres away, via Hughenden . West of the junction, National Route 1 continues as
340-563: The road to cross the range in 1939. Construction of the present Kuranda Range road as an alternative to the Gillies Highway began in 1940. This was partly as a result of public demand for better access to the Atherton Tableland , but also due to strategic wartime use. Whereas the previous Smithfield Track went relatively straight up the spur from Avondale Creek, passing by the present location of Henry Ross Lookout, and emerged at Mountain Grove,
360-401: The road, with the aid of bulldozers , jackhammers and dynamite . Although most workers had to walk up and down the range each day to their work area, temporary blacksmith's shops were set up on site to sharpen jackhammer bits. There were no fatal accidents during construction and the road was completed to the top of the range in approximately 12 months. Henry Ross chose "The Orange Grove" as
380-569: The route, but it passes through the ghost town of Cumberland . The Gulf Developmental Road is designated Highway 1 . It is not part of the National Highway network . This road has only one major intersection, with the Gregory Highway in the locality of Mount Surprise . The Roads of Strategic Importance initiative, last updated in March 2022, includes the following projects for the Gulf Developmental Road. A lead project to upgrade
400-506: The upgrade of the Barron River bridge, at a cost of $ 2.1 million, was to be completed in late 2022. A project to install Intelligent Transport System (ITS) treatments on Kuranda Range Road, at a cost of $ 30 million, was due to completed by late 2022. A project to provide targeted road safety improvements between Mareeba and Tolga, at a cost of $ 37.5 million, was due for completion in mid 2022. A works program of six projects to provide road safety enhancements between Kuranda and Mareeba, at
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