The Peninsula Developmental Road (PDR) runs from Lakeland to

Weipa Weipa () is a coastal mining town in the local government area of Weipa Town in Queensland. It is the largest town on the Cape York Peninsula. It exists because of the enormous bauxite deposits along the coast. The Port of Weipa is mainly invol ...

. It is the main road transport link within

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupació ...

and to the rest of the Australian mainland. The segment from

Weipa Town Weipa Town is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. It covers the town of Weipa on the western coast of the Cape York Peninsula, including the localities of Rocky Point, Trunding, Nanum, Evans Landing, and Weipa Airpo ...

to south of the town is within the Rio Tinto mine lease. The within the Rio Tinto mine lease boundary is not part of the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads controlled road. The department excluded this section from its official PDR calculations. The segment from Lakeland to the Rio Tinto boundary is and is under Transport and Main Roads control.

Road conditions

of from Lakeland to Weipa is currently unsealed road (as of April 2022). The condition of the unsealed road is highly variable. Mud, sand, dust, gravel and dirt corrugations are some of the road conditions subject to change of weather conditions. A five-year program of sealing work joint funded by the Federal and State governments through the Cape York Region Package commenced in 2014. As of December 2015, of new road has been sealed through the Cape York Region Package. As at June 2019, a total of will be sealed under the package, leaving only of unsealed.

Upgrades

The

Roads of Strategic Importance Roads of Strategic Importance (ROSI) is a $5.8 billion initiative of the Australian Government designed to help connect regional businesses to local and international markets, and to better connect regional communities. The source for this article ...

initiative, last updated in March 2022, includes the following projects for the Peninsula Developmental Road.

Corridor upgrade

A lead project to upgrade the Cooktown to Weipa corridor, including the Peninsula Developmental Road and surrounding state and council roads, at an estimated cost of $323.1 million, was commenced in 2020, with an expected completion in mid-2024.

Progressive sealing

A project for progressive sealing of sections of the Peninsula Developmental Road at a cost of $190 million is planned to be completed by mid-2024.

Cape York community access roads

A project to upgrade five roads that link Cape York communities to the Peninsula Development Road, at a cost of $47.5 million is due for completion in mid-2024.

List of towns, localities and points of interest along the highway

* Lakeland * Laura * Coen *

Archer River The Archer River is a river located on the Cape York Peninsula, Far North Queensland, Australia. Course and features The headwaters of the river rise in the McIlwraith Range and it flows west, traversing tropical savanna plains and wetlands, ...

Major intersections

References

{{Road infrastructure in Queensland Highways in Queensland Far North Queensland