Source: TMR
TMR advises that night closures associated with Tropical Cyclone Jasper reconstruction works on the Kennedy Highway (Cairns–Mareeba) will commence on Sunday, 15 February 2026.
Night closures
Short-term scheduled night closures (9pm to 4am, Sunday to Thursday nights) will be required on Kuranda Range Road for a period from Sunday 15 February until end of March 2026, weather and site conditions permitting.
- Traffic will be let through once in each direction at midnight (12am).
- There are no scheduled night closures on Friday and Saturday nights.
This is to enable construction activities to be completed that are not possible using single-lane closures or long traffic holds.
Progress of the works on Kuranda Range Road
As at the start of 2026:
- 24 geotechnical sites have been repaired along the Kennedy Highway
- 21 of the completed sites are on Kuranda Range Road
- 7 sites have repairs in progress, 5 of these are on Kuranda Range Road
- more than 10 sites on Kuranda Range Road are targeted for works during 2026.
Up to three single-lane sections are in operation on Kuranda Range Road.
Traffic Site 1 (Henry Ross Lookout area)
- This section is under 24/7 single-lane traffic control as day and night works are ongoing on the major downslope slip, about 200m towards Cairns from the lookout.
- Recent stabilisation works have included shotcreting and ongoing soil nail drilling.
Traffic Site 2 (about 1km above the hairpin bend area)
- Soil nailing, drilling and stabilisation works have recommenced at an upslope slip about 1km above the hairpin bend.
- This section is under single-lane traffic control when works are underway at the site.
Traffic Site 3 (between Saddle Mountain Road and Streets Creek)
- Stabilisation works are underway at two upslope sites between Saddle Mountain Road and Streets Creek.
- As the geotechnical repair sites are about 1km apart, a single-lane section will move from one repair site to the other, depending on works required, to minimise the extent of lane closures.
Map of current and completed works
Progress of works Kuranda to Mareeba
Traffic Site 4 (Kennedy Highway near Tichum Creek)
- Stabilisation works are recommencing by the end of January at two upslope slips on the Kennedy Highway, between Spena Road turnoff and Tichum Creek.
- This section of road will be under single-lane traffic control during the daytime, when required for the works.
For more information
If you need further information about these works, please contact the TMR Cairns office by email at cairns.office@tmr.qld.gov.au, visit the project webpage Kuranda Range Road reconstruction or telephone 1800 187 937.