A new $12m bridge capable of supporting 44-tonne trucks will be built next year across Noah Creek just south of Cape Tribulation, the State Government has announced.

Cook MP David Kempton said on Thursday the new bridge would replace the current 8-tonne-limit bridge.

“Good news for Cape Trib residents and travellers,” Mr Kempton said. 

“It certainly brings some security and certainty to those communities.”

The current 8-tonne-limit bridge will first undergo temporary repairs starting next month to bring it up to a bridge-limit capable of accommodating 16-tonne trucks.

Then, after that is hopefully completed in time for the wet season arrival, the causeway will be replaced with a concrete-culvert construction to put in place a back-up system before the full bridge replacement takes place next year.

Once that job is complete the old bridge will be replaced by a new 44-tonne-limit bridge, which the council currently has in storage since being delivered in 2019.

Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon last week moved to reassure the Cape Tribulation community all was being done to help with long-term deliveries of essential goods across Noah Creek.

The assurances came as Cape Tribulation businesses said, just as the busy school holiday period was starting up, they were down to their final reserves of gas and other essential supplies following heavy rain temporarily shutting down the causeway.

Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said last Tuesday the council had looked closely at upgrading the causeway, but “this is not a viable solution due to lengthy approval processes and would likely not provide the resilience required in heavy rain events”.

So the council was instead focusing on fixing the bridge next month so 16-tonne trucks could then make it through to Cape Trib via that route.

“Council has prioritised re-rating the bridge to 16 tonnes, understanding that this will be vitally important through the wet season,” Mayor Scomazzon said at the time. 

“Council will continue to work closely with communities north of the Daintree River throughout the road-upgrade process and remains focused on long-term solutions that improve resilience and connectivity.”

The Mayor also ruled out for now paying to help businesses ferry their supplies across the creek.

“At this stage, no formal commitments have been made regarding the funding or deployment of Council resources for supply deliveries,” she said. 

Julian Pagani, who owns Cape Tribulation Camping and Cape Tribulation Horse Rides, said he had contacted the DSC to access emergency funding to help pay for the cost of hauling supplies from Noah Creek to Cape Tribulation on smaller trucks and utes.

“Due to their mismanagement, they can pay for it,” he said.

Mr Pagani said he and other tourism operators and shop owners had been struggling to bring in essential supplies such as gas bottles and pallets of food and alcohol before the busy school holiday season. 

He said, if more supplies did not get through, his business was facing another “disaster” similar to past major shutdowns.

“We may be shutting down the kitchen, shutting down the campground,” he said. “This is nearly as bad as Cyclone Jasper again.”

Mr Pagani said at the time he was down to 15 per cent of his gas supplies while his businesses were fully booked with peak-season travellers.

“You rely on that last bit of income to get you through the wet,” he said.

The projects are being jointly funded by the State and Federal Governments.