Wednesday 20 July 2011

Major accident at Capt Cook Highway junction

Port Douglas Rd and Captain Cook Hwy intersection

Another major accident occurred on Tuesday evening at just before 6pm where a 20-year-old woman was seriously injured in a head on collision between two vans at the Port Douglas junction and two other people, French tourists, were trapped before being cut out of their vehicle by Emergency services.

The French woman driver of one of the vans was airlifted to Cairns Base Hospital in a serious but stable condition. Paramedics and fire crews attended the scene. The woman was thought to have a fractured femur and pelvis. Her 22-year-old male passenger was taken to Mossman Hospital in a stable condition with a fractured hand. The driver of the other van was a 33-year-old man who was uninjured.

This junction was the subject of much debate on The Newsport last year when several excellent suggestions from readers were passed onto the relevant authorities. Speaking this morning to Councillor Julia Leu, who was first on the scene of last nights accident, she said that she had rung Jason O'Brien State MP for our region to urge him to make the often discussed roundabout at the junction a priority for serious consideration by the State government to ensure the apparent confusion is removed from the junction which despite the recent upgrade still seems to be prevalent.

Mr O'Brien contacted The Newsport early this morning to announce that he is throwing his support behind calls for a roundabout to be built at the intersection of Captain Cook Highway and Port Douglas Road.
Mr O'Brien said that it was now obvious the intersection upgrade completed a few years ago had not greatly improved safety. He said it was now time to take the next step.

"There has been at least three serious crashes at this intersection this year", Mr O'Brien said. "This indicates that the improvements Main Roads undertook two years ago are not having the desired affect."

Mr O'Brien said that he passed through the intersection a few hours after the crash and was shocked at its severity.

"In the past I have said that if motorists obey the traffic laws the intersection should be safe, but I think that the position is now redundant," he said.

"I will lobby the Main Roads Minister to build a roundabout. I have explored the option of putting in a roundabout before and the cost estimate was close to $2 million, the major expense being to move electricity poles and install lighting. This year the State Government will invest more than $3 million to improve the Captain Cook Highway between Palm Cove and Port Douglas."

Have your say!

We ask you to provide your full name and valid email address to ensure your comments'' legitimacy is acknowledged. Editor reserves the right to amend comments in accordance with Publisher’s Terms and Conditions. Click here for full publishers terms and conditions for reader comments.

Mark Geddes, 28-07-11 12:16:

Would it make sense to change the speed limit on both sides of the intersection to 6okmh or 50kmh just as a start to minimising accidents. This would cost just a few hundred dollars for a couple of road signs that may save someone's life. Everyone knows it's a dangerous intersection and a lot of locals already slow down when passing through.

Will DEVLIN, 23-07-11 10:56:

Mat, I would be very appreciative if you could re-post my article from Oct 2010. I have had absolutely no feedback from Main Roads' engineers, and I am aware that there have been at least 4 crashes at the junction this calendar year, as well as a number of 'non-reportable' incidents in which the 'keep Left' sign in the median strip on PD Road has been knocked over. I suspect Jason HAS NOT researched this at all; CRC's estimated cost of a roundabout was $400,000 each (one at CC and PD Rd, the other at CC and Old Port Rd) - at any event, with the cost of a fatal crash costing the community a (published) $2,000,000, the question of a roundabout - which are installed around the world - is a no-brainer and the pressure on Jason and others needs to be maintained. I have not the slightest interest in how much he says State Govt will invest between PC and PD - this juntion NEEDS a roundabout NOW!

Daphne Titus-Rees, 22-07-11 17:05:

Yet ANOTHER accident this afternoon at this notorious death-trap. Wouldn't traffic-lights be simpler to install? At least they are something with which people from all over the world would be familiar.

DJ Murf , 22-07-11 17:04:

How can the authorities let such a beautiful place be such a dangerous place? Probably decisions are made by people who work in airconditioned offices who haven't even been to Port

Ris Radford, 22-07-11 06:45:

I lived in Port for most of my childhood before moving away 6yrs ago. This particular intersection has been the subject of many debates and accidents. Installation of lights will certainly improve the situation. How many accidents must happen or lives taken before the government consider doing something. Come on Main Roads stop procrastinating and do your job!!!!

Richard Hopper, 21-07-11 15:49:

Agree with Mick Lawler re traffic lights. Similar to junction at Clifton Beach so don't see why not.

mick lawler, 21-07-11 15:01:

I dont think Traffic lights would cost 2 million.Everyone understands red and green.

Annie , 20-07-11 16:51:

There's no point in saying that the junction is safe, 'cos it patently isn't! Yes I also find it incredulous that drivers can't look left, look right and make sure the road is clear before commencing their turn in or turn out but with so many accidents having occurred at this junction something gets in the way doesn't it? And you can't blame the tourists for not being used to driving on the left 'cos it's not always tourists involved. Put a roundabout in at the Old Port Road Junction and another one at the IGA junction and the traffic slows right down. Everytime I hear the cars collide, I go cold hoping it isn't someone I know. Let's hope Jason can get at least one roundabout sorted before the inevitable happens.

Emily Phillips, 20-07-11 13:57:

I think a roundabout is just what that intersection needs.
I know it adds to the collection around the town but in the interests of safety for all it is well overdue.

ghraeme dudley, 20-07-11 13:43:

the intersection is safe if you know how to drive most tourists don't they need to learn road rules before they hire cars still plenty of crashes at roundabouts.

Mike T , 20-07-11 13:38:

Bring on the roundabout ...This intersection is a diaster it shouldn't take a loss of life or serious injury to bring about change.
I live nearby and often hear the screeching tyres of the near misses which don't turn up on the statistics.Jason you need to get right behind this and make it happen... no more half thought out road realignments. Just get the roundabout done.

Sam Cullen , 20-07-11 13:05:

It just has to happen soon Jason, we cannot accept no as an answer. We all live with the fear that the next crash will be someone we love.