Gulf Developmental Road is an Australian highway linking the Cairns and Normanton regions in northern Queensland, Australia. It is the only sealed (asphalt) road linking these two regions, and is designated Highway 1 in the Queensland part of the national Highway 1 network.

Description

In the east, the Gulf Developmental Road begins at an unnamed junction on the southern edge of Forty Mile Scrub National Park, 241 km south-west of Cairns. It runs west before terminating at its junction with the Burke Developmental Road 7 km south of Normanton, a total distance of 442 km. It links Cairns and Normanton, and is the only sealed (asphalt) road linking these two regions. It is sealed for its full length, but as of 2018 there were many sections of the road which were only single-lane bitumen, with gravel shoulders are gravel, requiring vehicles to move partly onto the shoulders. These sections extend between points about 55 km west of Georgetown and 20 km west of Mount Surprise. Towns along the route include Mount Surprise, Georgetown and Croydon. There are no other communities along the route, but it passes through the ghost town of Cumberland. The Gulf Developmental Road is designated Highway 1. It is not part of the National Highway network.

Major intersections

This road has only one major intersection, with the Gregory Highway in the locality of.

Upgrades

The Roads of Strategic Importance initiative, last updated in March 2022, includes the following projects for the Gulf Developmental Road.

Corridor upgrade

A lead project to upgrade the Cairns to Northern Territory border corridor, including the Gulf Developmental Road and surrounding state and council roads, at an estimated cost of $62.5 million, was commenced in 2020, with planning continuing.

Pavement strengthening and widening

A project for pavement strengthening and widening of sections of the Gulf Developmental Road between Mount Garnet and Croydon at a cost of $21.5 million was planned to be completed by mid-2022. This project was targeted for "early works" by the Queensland Government, and was split into two packages.