Wet days cause wait
HEADACHES for Smithfield residents living near McGregor Rd are likely to be drawn out beyond the expected June 30 completion date.
But the $164 million Smithfield Bypass project built in collaboration with Cairns Regional Council’s McGregor Rd works are on track for a late 2021 completion.
Major works between Sidlaw St and Dunne Rd were expected to be complete by June 10 but rain has pushed back completion to July 13.
Traffic congestion where the road meets the Captain Cook Hwy is expected to linger as pile driving shifts to crane activity working to fix an elevated roadway in place.
Barron River MP Craig Crawford said delays were an inconvenience but necessary to get the job done.
“They are still pile driving and once the pile driving is finished, you will see a lot of cranes moving into there, because they become the foundations for the concrete pillars and beams going overhead,” he said.
“The roadworks, particularly on McGregor Rd and the quantity of equipment and people, that’s going to stay there for some time.
“I know it’s a bit of a pain with the traffic queues – I go through it three or four times a day myself – but we just have to try and allow that extra time.
“We are trying to maintain a road to keep it open but at the same time maintain a safe working place for all the crews there and it’s a fine line to thread.”
Mr Crawford said crews had encountered more dryseason wet days than anticipated but the project remained on schedule.
“I am certainly briefed by Main Roads that they are happy with the progress,” he said. “The public would be very happy with the progress … and a lot of this will come down to what the wet season looks like.
“A big factor in all big road construction projects in Far North Queensland is what will the wet season look like? And none of us really have visibility on that one yet.
“But so far, so good. Everything has been going well.”
The Smithfield Bypass project involves a new 3.8km road between McGregor Rd roundabout and the Cairns Western Arterial Rd as an alternative route to the Captain Cook Hwy.