Popular tourist drive’s road to recovery completed ahead of schedule
Numerous landslips. Badly damaged road surface. Loss of road due to slope failure.
Like much of Far North Queensland’s vital road network, Gillies Range Road suffered significant damage from the deluge brought on by Tropical Cyclone Jasper in December 2023.
Connecting Gordonvale south of Cairns to Atherton in the Tablelands region, the 56-kilometre highway is a popular tourist drive.
Known for its picturesque lookouts and steep sections, the road winds its way through World Heritage Area rainforest along the Gillies Range.
Keeping the road open and in a safe condition is key to supporting the local community.
First damage assessments revealed relatively minor damage due to landslips that Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) crews quickly cleared away to have the road reopened in late December 2023.
However, the road’s condition rapidly deteriorated after further monsoonal rainfall over the summer and autumn of 2024.
In April 2024, inspections revealed pavement damage due to slope failures in two locations on Gillies Range Road near Gordonvale.
Immediately the downhill traffic lane was closed to prevent any further loss to the road embankment, and works recommenced.
The road's location in a World Heritage Area further increased the complexity of roadworks and the need for thorough planning and appropriate construction methodologies.
Following the completion of geotechnical investigations and design, comprehensive reconstruction began in early July 2024.
Works included soil nailing, installing concrete walls to stabilise road embankments, and restoring the road pavement.
Repairs were completed in two stages and allowed for a gradual reduction of traffic control measures, with the first section of road reopening in late August 2024, reducing queuing delays for motorists.
Gillies Range Road was fully reopened by early October 2024, ahead of schedule, and now has the distinction of being the first range road near Cairns to be fully reopened following ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
It’s a significant step for Far North Queensland as the region continues to recover from the disaster.
The reopened road can now be used as a vital alternative link for Cairns and Tableland communities as repairs get underway elsewhere.
Although the pressure on the road network has been eased, further work is required to restore Gillies Range Road to tip-top condition.
More reconstruction works will be undertaken at other damage sites along the road as detailed designs are completed and contractors mobilised, with the recovery works jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
