Cairns bypass upgrade aims to make commuting easier for Shire residents
FNQ transport
A major road helping link Douglas Shire to southern Cairns by bypassing the CBD will be upgraded quicker after the Federal Government allocated about $166m in Tuesday’s Federal Budget.
The section of the Cairns Western Arterial Road from Smithfield to Lake Placid Road will be duplicated for the project as part of the long-term plan to expand the entire road all the way past Earlville, including a new bypass at that end.
The Government’s commitment of an additional $166.3m towards the project brings its total funding for the CWAR to $382.3m.
This additional money will support the staged delivery of the project, including the construction of Section 1 from Lake Placid Road to Captain Cook Highway ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to a Government statement.
Leichhardt MP Matt Smith said more than 22,000 drivers rely on the road every day.
“This section of road is a vital artery that connects the Cairns CBD to the northern suburbs and beyond,” Mr Smith said.
“During the floods post-Cyclone Jasper in 2023, large sections of the Cairns Western Arterial Road were inundated and impassable.
“We cannot allow for that to happen again."
The road-project funding was announced on Tuesday in the budget delivered by Treasurer Jim Chalmers.
