Captain Cook Highway

Last updated

Captain Cook Highway

Queensland
Captain Cook Highway, Craiglie, 2015.JPG
The highway at Craiglie near Port Douglas
Captain Cook Highway 1412.svg
Captain Cook Highway (green on black)
General information
TypeHighway
Length75 km (47 mi)
Route number(s)
  • Australian national route 1.svg(Cairns – Kennedy Highway Junction/Smithfield Shopping Centre roundabout
  • Australian state route 44.svg State Route 44 (Smithfield – Mossman)
Major junctions
South endAUS Alphanumeric Route A1.svg Bruce Highway (Queensland Highway A1), Cairns
 
North endMossman-Daintree Road, Mossman
Location(s)
Major settlements Smithfield, Palm Cove, Port Douglas
Highway system

The Captain Cook Highway is a short, regional highway in Queensland that originates in Cairns and terminates in Mossman, where it joins Mossman-Daintree Road, continuing to Daintree. It is a state-controlled regional road (number 20A). [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The highway is used to connect the CBD of Cairns to the Northern Beaches, a collection of suburbs that comprise the northern section of Cairns. It is also used by many tourists travelling to the town of Port Douglas, north of Cairns. Apart from being a link between two tourist locations, the Captain Cook Highway is a scenic highway that winds alongside the coast of the tropical seaside rainforest heading towards Port Douglas and Daintree National Park.

Route description

The Captain Cook Highway commences at the northern end of the Bruce Highway (Mulgrave Road), in the Cairns CBD. It runs through the CBD and the suburbs of Cairns North and Aeroglen as Sheridan Street, with a speed limit of 60km/h. In this section, it intersects with Airport Drive, providing a connection to Cairns Airport. After the intersection with Aeroglen Drive, the northerly and southerly directions of the highway become separated by a median and the speed limit increases to 80km/h. It runs as National Route 1 north past the suburbs of Machans Beach, Holloways Beach, and Yorkeys Knob, until it reaches the intersection of the Cairns Western Arterial Road towards the Redlynch Valley.

As of 25 November 2021, the highway branches off from this intersection onto the Smithfield Bypass (now renamed Kudakai Crossland Connection); a two-lane highway which follows a path to the east of the Smithfield business centre. This was constructed at a cost of $164 million. [1]

The original route continues north to the intersection of the Kennedy Highway in Smithfield, next to the Smithfield Shopping Centre. From this intersection, the highway continues north to the intersection of McGregor road, next to James Cook University, where it joins with the Smithfield Bypass. The two routes recombine and continue north as State Route 44 past the suburbs of Trinity Park, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, and Ellis Beach. It then continues along the coast through Wangetti, Craiglie and Killaloe, then west between Bonnie Doon in the north and Cassowary and Shannonvale in the south, where it passes the exit to Mossman-Mount Molloy Road (State Route 44) to the south, before turning north-west to its terminus in Mossman.

History

A coastal highway connecting Cairns to Port Douglas was first proposed in 1918. [5]

Construction of the original route began in 1931, and the highway was officially opened on 17 December 1933. [6] [7] It originally opened as a toll road. [7] Its original route north of Cairns passed through Stratford and crossed the Barron River over the Kamerunga Lower Bridge, as the planned bridge at Stratford was beset by delays. [8] The wooden highway bridge at Stratford was opened to traffic while still incomplete via temporary spans after an unnamed cyclone caused flooding that swept away parts of the unfinished bridge in 1934. [8]

The highway was originally unsealed, and sealing works took place through 1938-1940, with the last section sealed in 1945. The highway's toll was abolished in 1946. [7]

In 1977, construction of a new bridge crossing over the Barron River at Stratford took place. The bridge officially opened on 16 December 1977. The bridge was named the William Walter Mason Bridge on 12 August 1978. [6] The bridge and highway were duplicated at Stratford in 1988. [9]

The highway was closed in December 2023 after heavy rain linked to Cyclone Jasper caused landslips, debris and significant damage north of Palm Cove to Port Douglas. [10] Reopening occurred on the 20 January 2024.

Upgrades

Upgrade planning

A project to analyse options for upgrading a section of road from Poolwood Road roundabout to Endeavour Road, at a cost of $620,000, was to be completed by mid-2021. [11]

Upgrade construction

A project to upgrade the road between Cairns and Smithfield, at a cost of $359 million, was expected to commence construction in June 2022. [12]

Mossman–Mount Molloy Road

Mossman–Mount Molloy Road
Australian state route 44.svg
LocationCaptain Cook Highway, Bonnie Doon, Cassowary, Shannonvale tripoint
to Mulligan Highway, Mount Molloy
Length28.4 km (17.6 mi)
Route number 44

Mossman–Mount Molloy Road is a state-controlled district road (number 653). [3] [4] It starts at an intersection with Captain Cook Highway (State Route 44) at the Bonnie Doon, Cassowary, Shannonvale tripoint. It runs south as State Route 44, for 28.4 kilometres (17.6 mi) to Mount Molloy, where it ends at an intersection with Mulligan Highway. The road has no major intersections. [13]

Major intersections

LGALocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
Cairns Cairns 00.0AUS Alphanumeric Route A1.svg Bruce Highway (Florence Street) (Queensland Highway A1) – south–west – Woree /
Sheridan Street – south–east – Cairns CBD /
Florence Street – north–east – Cairns waterfront		Southern end of Captain Cook Highway (National Route 1) Continues north–west as Sheridan Street.
Barron River 6.94.3 William Walter Mason Bridges
Cairns Smithfield 12.17.5Australian state route 91.svg Cairns Western Arterial Road (State Route 91) – south – Kamerunga /
Australian national route 1.svg National Route 1 – north–west – Smithfield /
Smithfield Bypass – north – Smithfield/Trinity Park		Smithfield Bypass is now renamed Kudakai Crossland Connection.
Captain Cook Highway now follows the bypass. [1]
13.18.1Australian national route 1.svg Kennedy Highway (National Route 1) – west – Kuranda Captain Cook Highway continues north as State Route 44
Douglas Port Douglas 61.138.0Port Douglas Road – north–east – Port Douglas
Bonnie Doon / Shannonvale /
Cassowary tripoint [14] 		71.244.2Australian state route 44.svg Mossman Mount Molloy Road (State Route 44) – south – Mount Molloy Captain Cook Highway continues west with no route number
Mossman 75.446.9Mill Street – east – Mossman CBD /
Mossman Daintree Road (Foxton Avenue) – north–west – Daintree /
Junction Road – north–east – Bonnie Doon		Northern end of Captain Cook Highway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •        Route transition

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Captain Cook Highway, Smithfield Bypass". Queensland Government. 13 December 2021. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  2. ↑ Hema, Maps (2007). Australia Road and 4WD Atlas (Map). Eight Mile Plains Queensland: Hema Maps. p. 14. ISBN   978-1-86500-456-3.
  3. 1 2 "North Queensland Region map" (PDF). Department of Transport and Main Roads ©State of Queensland [CC BY 4.0]. 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Far North District map" (PDF). Department of Transport and Main Roads ©State of Queensland [CC BY 4.0]. 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "Farmer's Bridge 1921". Stratford & Freshwater Community Association. Retrieved 9 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. 1 2 "W W Mason & Acacia Bank". Stratford & Freshwater Community Association. Retrieved 9 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. 1 2 3 Churchward, A. The Captain Cook Highway 1788-1988.
  8. 1 2 "Stratford Bridge". Stratford & Freshwater Community Association. Retrieved 9 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ "New Barron bridge takes shape". The Cairns Post. 15 June 1988.
  10. ↑ Herrmann, Bridget; Testa, Christopher; Richardson, Holly; McKillop, Charlie (10 January 2024). "Re-opening dates set for Captain Cook, Palmerston highways in flood-ravaged Far North Queensland". ABC News. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  11. ↑ "Captain Cook Highway (Cairns-Mossman) Poolwood Road roundabout to Endeavour Road, planning". Queensland Government. 22 November 2021. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  12. ↑ "Cairns Ring Road (Cairns CBD to Smithfield)". Queensland Government. 18 February 2022. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  13. ↑ "Mossman to Mount Molloy" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  14. ↑ "Bonnie Doon / Shannonvale / Cassowary tripoint" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved 20 July 2017.

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