This $350 million project includes the construction of a new 3.8 kilometre two-lane, bi-directional road bypassing to the east of the Captain Cook Highway (CCH) between the existing Yorkey’s Knob Roundabout in the south (to be upgraded to a 4-way intersection) and the McGregor Road Roundabout in the north (to be Grade Separated).

The CCH is heavily utilised by commuter, commercial and tourist traffic with up 64,000 vehicles per day (vpd) expected in 2036 and the project is expected to significantly improve travel time, improve freight high occupancy vehicles and tourism vehicle efficiency and reduce the number and severity of crashes.

Working in an integrated design team with BG&E, HDR’s role as the design lead in Stage 1 Tender Design was to ensure that project objectives and SWTC are satisfied to ensure that appropriate traffic outcomes are obtained, that the bypass satisfies the sensitive hydraulic requirements to achieve 2% AEP on the bypass whilst not impacting on the adjacent residential and commercial developments including Sky Rail and does not create and adverse impacts on the adjacent Cattana Wetland.

An alternative option (Total Northern Network) was developed as part of the tender which provided a strategic link from the bypass to the Cairns Western Arterial Road (CWAR) rather than directly to the Captain Cook at the identified in the SWTC. This would significantly improve the functionality of traffic by removing local traffic movements from the bypass such that more regional based movements where reserved for the bypass. This option significantly improved the performance of the overall network through Smithfield. The Team were successful in being awarded the contract and are now moving forward on the Detailed Design on the alternative Option (TNN).