Latest plans for widening 'horrid' Craiglie highway intersection revealed
Shire transport
The latest plans for the widening of the four-way Beor Street junction on the Captain Cook Highway at Craiglie have been revealed in a report to be tabled in Douglas Shire Council today.
As part of a new Craiglie housing estate, Boer Street, which crosses over the highway, is set to be widened to allow for more room for cars to overtake those queueing up across traffic to turn into the road - a longtime bugbear of locals who say the intersection is currently dangerous.
The State Government Transport and Main Roads Department (TMR) is expected to be in charge of the highway-intersection redesign, but the developers of Stage Two of New Port Estate have been negotiating with the council about who will pay to widen the council-administered Beor Street.
DSC councillors will today vote on whether the developers and council are to go halves in the estimated $62,000 cost of those works.
“The upgrade consists of some minor localised road widening to accommodate a left turn out onto the Captain Cook Highway when exiting Beor Street while providing for the storage of north bound vehicles when exiting Beor Street,” the report states.
A 17-lot Beor Street industrial subdivision on the western side of the highway was also announced earlier this year as part of the Craiglie Business Park Stage Two, prompting concerned residents to speak out once again about the intersection.
“Something must be done to the Beor St and Captain Cook highway intersection,” Sandy Tyndall commented.
“It's already an accident waiting to happen.”
“That intersection is horrid,” Belinda Barndon wrote.
In August the State Government announced a $6.6m grant to help with turning and slip lanes from Captain Cook Highway into Beor Street and Andreassen Road, as well as other essential works.
About 40 blocks in Stage Two of the Craiglie project have been in the planning since 2022 by developers Port Douglas Land Developments.
The developers first submitted plans for large tracts of housing along Captain Cook Highway more than five years ago, with Stage One of the development now complete.
