The Queensland and Australian governments have jointly committed $490 million to replace the aging Barron River Bridge near Kuranda, a critical link on the Kennedy Highway between Cairns and the Northern Tablelands.
Planning is now complete, with construction slated to begin following detailed design and environmental approvals.
The new structure – approximately 270 metres long and located downstream of the existing 1963-built bridge – will feature two 3.5m traffic lanes, wider shoulders for on-road cyclists, and a fully segregated pedestrian and active transport pathway.
According to the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), the new alignment will reduce safety risks, address capacity constraints, and improve long-term network resilience.
The existing bridge, a six-span steel-concrete structure, has been under a 42.5-tonne load limit since fatigue cracks were identified in 2020.
These restrictions, coupled with periodic single-lane operations and full closures for quarterly inspections and repairs, have severely impacted freight movements.
Around 1,100 freight trips per day currently use the corridor, and detours via Palmerston Highway extend travel times from 48 minutes to almost three hours.
“The new bridge with wider traffic lanes, wide centre line treatment, painted median, and separated active transport was selected as the preferred option,” the business case states, citing safety, lifecycle cost efficiency, and resilience benefits.
Key upgrades include a new roundabout at Black Mountain Road to improve incident management, as well as a realignment of approach roads and services, including Kuranda Cemetery Road and local utilities.
The project will also require the decommissioning of the existing bridge upon project completion
The project area falls within the Wet Tropics and includes environmentally sensitive habitats, notably for the endangered Southern Cassowary and critically endangered Kuranda Tree Frog.
As such, the project will require referral under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act and extensive environmental management during construction.
The delivery model is likely to follow either a Transport Infrastructure Contract – Construct Only (TIC-CO) with Early Tenderer Involvement or a Collaborative Project Agreement with Early Contractor Involvement. These allow for risk-sharing and early design input from builders to manage site complexity and environmental constraints.
