Road Name: | Gulf Developmental Road |
State: | qld |
Type: | rural road |
Length: | 442 |
Direction A: | West |
Direction B: | East |
End A: | Savannah Way (National Route 1) / Burke Developmental Road (State Route 83), 7km (04miles) south of Normanton, Queensland |
End B: | Kennedy Highway (National Route 1) / Kennedy Developmental Road, (State Route 62) Forty Mile Scrub, Queensland |
Through: | Croydon, Georgetown, Mount Surprise |
Route: | National Route 1 |
Exits: | Gregory Highway |
Gulf Developmental Road is an Australian highway linking the Cairns and Normanton regions in northern Queensland, Australia. It is the only sealed (asphalt) road linking these two regions, and is designated Highway 1 in the Queensland part of the national Highway 1 network.
In the east, the Gulf Developmental Road begins at an unnamed junction on the southern edge of Forty Mile Scrub National Park, 241km (150miles) south-west of Cairns. It runs west before terminating at its junction with the Burke Developmental Road 7km (04miles) south of Normanton, a total distance of 442km (275miles). It links Cairns and Normanton, and is the only sealed (asphalt) road linking these two regions.[1] It is sealed for its full length, but as of 2018 there were many sections of the road which were only single-lane bitumen, with gravel shoulders are gravel, requiring vehicles to move partly onto the shoulders. These sections extend between points about 55km (34miles) west of Georgetown and 20km (10miles) west of Mount Surprise.
Towns along the route include Mount Surprise, Georgetown and Croydon.[2] There are no other communities along the route, but it passes through the ghost town of Cumberland.
The Gulf Developmental Road is designated Highway 1. It is not part of the National Highway network.
This road has only one major intersection, with the Gregory Highway in the locality of .
The Roads of Strategic Importance initiative, last updated in March 2022, includes the following projects for the Gulf Developmental Road.
A lead project to upgrade the Cairns to Northern Territory border corridor, including the Gulf Developmental Road and surrounding state and council roads, at an estimated cost of $62.5 million, was commenced in 2020, with planning continuing.[3]
A project for pavement strengthening and widening of sections of the Gulf Developmental Road between Mount Garnet and Croydon at a cost of $21.5 million was planned to be completed by mid-2022.[4] This project was targeted for "early works" by the Queensland Government, and was split into two packages.[5]