The Captain Cook Highway is a short, regional highway in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

which originates in

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

and terminates in Mossman, where it joins Mossman-Daintree Road, continuing to Daintree.Queensland Government - Department of Transport and Main Roads - Maps
/ref> The Captain Cook Highway is used to connect the CBD of Cairns to the Northern Beaches; a collection of suburbs which comprise the northern section of Cairns. It is also used by many

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...

s travelling to the town of

Port Douglas Port Douglas is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia, approximately 60 km north of Cairns. In the , Port Douglas had a population of 3,504 people. The town's population can often double, however, with the in ...

, north of Cairns. Apart from being a vital link between two tourist locations, the Captain Cook Highway is a scenic highway that winds alongside the coast of the tropical seaside rainforest heading towards Port Douglas and

Daintree National Park The Daintree rainforest is a national park in Far North Queensland, Australia, northwest of Brisbane and northwest of Cairns. It was founded in 1981 and is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland. In 1988 it became a World Heritage Site. The par ...

Route description

The Captain Cook Highway commences at the northern end of the

Bruce Highway The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast on its way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is part of the Australian Na ...

(Mulgrave Road), in the Cairns CBD. It runs through the CBD and the suburbs of Cairns North and Aeroglen as Sheridan Street, with a speed limit of 60km/h. In this section, it intersects with Airport Drive, providing a connection to Cairns Airport. After the intersection with Aeroglen Drive, the northerly and southerly directions of the highway become separated by a median and the speed limit increases to 80km/h. It runs as National Route 1 north past the suburbs of Machans Beach, Holloways Beach, and Yorkeys Knob, until it reaches the intersection of the Cairns Western Arterial Road towards the Redlynch Valley. As of November 25th, 2021, the highway branches off from this intersection onto the Smithfield Bypass; a two-lane section of highway which follows a path to the east of the Smithfield business center. This was constructed at a cost of $164 million. The original route continues north to the intersection of the Kennedy Highway in Smithfield, next to the Smithfield Shopping Centre. From this intersection, the highway continues north to the intersection of McGregor road, next to James Cook University, where it joins with the Smithfield Bypass. The two routes recombine and continue north as State Route 44 past the suburbs of Trinity Park, Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Clifton Beach, Palm Cove, and Ellis Beach. It then continues along the coast through Wangetti and Craiglie, before turning north-west to its terminus in Mossman.

Upgrades

Upgrade planning

A project to analyse options for upgrading a section of road from Poolwood Road roundabout to Endeavour Road, at a cost of $620,000, was to be completed by mid-2021.

Upgrade construction

A project to upgrade the road between Cairns and Smithfield, at a cost of $359 million, was expected to commence construction in June 2022.

Major intersections

Gallery

File:Captain Cook Highway passing through Ellis Beach, 2018.jpg, Captain Cook Highway, Ellis Beach, 2018 File:Ocean view, Captain Cook Highway, 2015 (02).JPG, Captain Cook Highway, Wangetti, 2015 File:Captain Cook Highway, Craiglie, 2015.JPG, Captain Cook Highway, Craiglie, 2015 File:Captain Cook Highway, Mossman, 2015.JPG, Captain Cook Highway at Mossman, 2015

References

External links

{{Road infrastructure in Queensland Cairns, Queensland Highways in Queensland Far North Queensland Highway 1 (Australia)