Problem to be addressed

The Bruce Highway is part of the National Land Transport Network and is the primary north–south route for regional and local traffic on the east coast of Queensland between Brisbane and Cairns.

The section of the Bruce Highway between Edmonton and Gordonvale is congested during morning and evening peaks, and has a high crash rate.

Increasing industry diversification, densification of the CBD, and urban expansion in southern Cairns is forecast to grow traffic beyond the reliable capacity of the highway.

Without intervention, this traffic growth would lead to severe congestion and poorer safety conditions on the road.

Project description

The proposed project aims to ease capacity constraints by creating a four-lane highway (two lanes in each direction) between Edmonton and Gordonvale and would significantly reduce interfaces with properties, the North Coast rail line and arterial roads.

New service roads would draw local traffic away from the highway, reducing travel times and improving amenity for the local residents of Mount Peter and Gordonvale.

There is strategic merit in upgrading this part of the Bruce Highway to improve accessibility for Cairns’ local communities, regional traffic, tourism and freight.

Economic, social and environmental value

The largest benefit of the project is travel-time savings for road users. The project would also improve safety on the road, resulting in crash cost savings.

The proponent’s stated benefit-cost ratio is 1.14, with a net present value of $49.3 million (7% real discount rate).

Capital cost of initiative as stated by proponent $1,005.3 million (P50, nominal, undiscounted) | Australian Government contribution $852 million |State government contribution $213 million | Private sector contribution N/A.