The Burke Developmental Road is a Queensland (Australia) developmental road. It links Cloncurry and Normanton in a south–north direction, then turns to the north-east 30 km (19 mi) north of Normanton for 230 km (140 mi) before turning south-east till Dimbulah, where it becomes the Mareeba Dimbulah Road.

The road crosses the Gilbert River. This bridge was named after two of the region's indigenous leaders, Lily and Jubilee Slattery. A major unsealed section begins about 45 km (28 mi) north of Normanton and continues until Chillagoe. As of 2014, some sections totaling about 15 km (9.3 mi) are unsealed between Chillagoe and Dimbulah. It may become impassable during the wet season. In mid-2007, A$28 million worth of funding was allocated for the widening of the road.

Northern Australia Beef Roads upgrades

The Northern Australia Beef Roads Program announced in 2016 included two projects for the Burke Developmental Road.

Pavement strengthening

The project for progressive sealing works between Chillago and Almaden (Package One) was completed in early 2020 at a total cost of $4.7 million.

The project for progressive sealing works between Chillago and Almaden (Package Two) was completed in early 2020 at a total cost of $2.7 million.

Other upgrades

Replace bridge

A project to replace the Butcher Creek bridge, at a cost of $10.7 million, was completed in December 2021.

Progressive sealing

A project to progressively seal sections of the road between Normanton and Dimbulah, at a cost of $14 million, was expected to complete in June 2022.

Another project to progressively seal sections of the road between Almaden and Chillagoe, at a cost of $14.8 million, was to be completed by late 2022.

Major Intersections

LGALocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
CloncurryCloncurry00.0Barkly Highway (National Route A2) west – Mount Isa / east – Cloncurry, Hughenden, WintonSouthern end of Burke Developmental Road. National Route 83 continues west concurrent with Barkly Highway.
Four Ways180110Wills Developmental Road – south–east – Julia CreekSouthern concurrency terminus with Wills Developmental Road
181112Wills Developmental Road – north–west – GregoryNorthern concurrency terminus with Wills Developmental Road
Flinders River318198Bridge
CarpentariaNormanton373232Gulf Developmental Road (National Route 1) south–east – CroydonSouthern concurrency terminus with National Route 1
375233Savannah Way (National Route 1) – south–west – Carpentaria, BurketownNorthern concurrency terminus with National Route 1
Norman River381237EB Whyte Bridge – National Route 83 terminates here. Burke Developmental Road continues as State Route 27.
CarpentariaHowitt410250Karumba Road – west – KarumbaSee map of Howitt
Gilbert River483300Lily and Jubilee Slattery Bridge
Middle Creek546339Bridge
Staaten River569354Bridge
CarpentariaMaramie640400Dunbar Kowanyama Road – north–west – KowanyamaSee map of Maramie
Lynd River764475Bridge
Walsh River820510Bridge
Walsh River908564Bridge
MareebaPetford1,003623Herberton–Petford Road – south–east – HerbertonSee map of Petford
Emu Creek1,005624Bridge
MareebaDimbulah1,035643Mareeba Dimbulah Road – east – MareebaNorthern end of Burke Developmental Road (Dimbulah town centre). State Route 27 continues east to Mareeba as Mareeba Dimbulah Road.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminusRoute transition

Gallery

Termite mounds along the Burke Developmental Road, Stokes, 2019
Burke Developmental Road south of Normanton, 2019

See also