Bowen Developmental Road Explained

Road Name:Bowen Developmental Road
State:QLD
Type:rural road
Length:259
Built By:Department of Transport and Main Roads
Route: State Route 77
Direction A:Northeast
Direction B:Southwest
Through:Collinsville

Bowen Developmental Road is a state-controlled district road (numbers 88A and 88B) rated as a local road of regional significance (LRRS).[1] [2] It is a rural strategic main road[3] in Queensland, Australia.[4] It is part of State Route 77, and functions as a highway. It has a length of and extends in northeast-southwest direction from Bowen on the east coast of Australia to the Gregory Developmental Road in Belyando near Nairana National Park.

In its course, the road crosses the Clark Range and Leichhardt Range. Until the station Whynot it is paved. The last were dirt road but some further sealing was done in 2021.

The highest point in the course of the highway is at, the lowest at .[5]

Route description

State Route 77 departs from the Bruce Highway in a southerly direction, just west of Bowen. From there to Collinsville it is signed as Peter Delamothe Road. From Collinsville onwards the road is signed as Bowen Developmental Road. The road generally follows the route of the railway line to a point south of Collinsville, where the railway continues south to coal mines and the road turns south-west, passing through the locality of Mount Coolon, where the Suttor Developmental Road branches off to the south. From here the road continues south-west until it meets the Gregory Developmental Road in the locality of Belyando.

Northern Australia Roads Program upgrade

The Northern Australia Roads Program announced in 2016 included the following project for the Bowen Developmental Road.

Road sealing

The project for progressive sealing and minor drainage improvements was completed in early 2021 at a total cost of $28.8 million.[6]

Other upgrades

Paving and sealing

A project to pave and seal a further section of the road, at a cost of $15 million, was completed in late 2021.[7]

Major intersections

All distances are from Google maps. The road is within the Whitsunday and Isaac local government areas.

Sources

Steve Parish: Australian Touring Atlas . Steve Parish Publishing. Archerfield QLD 2007. . p. 10

Notes and References

  1. Queensland Government ©State of Queensland [CC BY 4.0] . The State Road Network of Queensland . 30 June 2022 . 4 August 2023.
  2. Web site: Mackay/Whitsunday district map . 2019 . Department of Transport and Main Roads ©State of Queensland [CC BY 4.0] . 1 January 2022 .
  3. Web site: Bowen Developmental Road - Staged Development . . 23 Jan 2019 . The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development . 5 Jun 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190305072009/https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/projects/ProjectDetails.aspx?Project_id=067237-16QLD-NAR . 5 March 2019 . live .
  4. Australia Road and 4WD Atlas. Hema . Maps. 2007 . Hema Maps. Eight Mile Plains Queensland. 978-1-86500-456-3. 10-11 .
  5. maps.bonzle.com - Bowen Developmental Road. Accessed April 19, 2012 Design.
  6. Web site: Bowen Developmental Road - Staged Development . Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications . 24 May 2021 . 30 March 2022 . 5 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190305072009/https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/projects/ProjectDetails.aspx?Project_id=067237-16QLD-NAR . live .
  7. Web site: Bowen Developmental Road (Collinsville-Belyando Crossing), Deception Creek to Bulgonunna Creek, pave and seal . Queensland Government . 19 May 2022 . 21 May 2022 . 21 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220521072304/https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/bowen-developmental-road-collinsville-belyando-crossing-deception-creek-to-bulgonunna-creek . live .