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Cairns traffic upgrades: what happens next and the key decisions ahead
Council faces July votes on grant spending and route priorities that will shape daily commutes and freight movement through the city.
How we reported this
Cairns Regional Council will vote on 15 July on whether to accept a $12 million state grant for signal upgrades and intersection widening along the Captain Cook Highway north of Smithfield.
The decision arrives as the Bruce Highway carries growing volumes of tourist buses, agricultural trucks from the Atherton Tablelands and local workers heading to the Cairns CBD each weekday. Delays at key choke points now average 22 minutes during morning peaks, according to the latest Department of Transport and Main Roads count completed in May.
Two intersections sit at the centre of the debate. One lies at the junction of Captain Cook Highway and McGregor Road in Smithfield, where queues back up past the entrance to James Cook University’s Cairns campus. The second is the Spence Street and Sheridan Street crossing in the CBD, a spot used daily by buses serving the Esplanade ferry terminal and the Cairns Central rail station.
Funding priorities under review
Documents released last week show three options on the table. Option one spreads the grant across both sites plus new pedestrian crossings near the Cairns Hospital. Option two directs most money to the highway, including a longer turning lane for trucks heading to the port at Portsmith. Option three keeps the full amount for a feasibility study on a western bypass linking Redlynch to Edmonton. The council’s transport committee will rank the choices before the full vote.
Traffic data released with the agenda records 18,400 vehicles passing the McGregor Road intersection on an average weekday in 2025, up 14 per cent from the 2023 survey. Freight operators told council staff the extra volume has added roughly $180,000 in fuel and driver costs for the region’s banana and avocado haulers this year alone.
Next steps for residents and businesses
Once the 15 July vote is taken, the chosen package moves to the Department of Transport and Main Roads for final design sign-off by September. Public consultation on detailed designs opens 20 July and closes 10 August, with drop-in sessions planned at the Smithfield Library and the Cairns Showgrounds. Businesses along the affected stretches can apply for temporary loading-zone adjustments during construction, which is expected to begin in early 2027 if funding is locked in.