Douglas motorists’ woes could be over sooner than they think with a detour around works on Port Douglas Road possibly opening soon. 

Mahogany Street connects to Port Douglas Road between the town cemetery and Port Douglas Sands Resort.

Through Crimmins Street it could provide a detour around the controversial roadworks allow motorists uninterrupted access into town. 

Currently the Mahogany Street - Port Douglas Road intersection is closed as crews continue to lay down new road surface there but the Department of Transport and Main Roads has advised The Newsport that the works should be finished past the intersection by early July, weather permitting. 

Main Roads has also said that its discussing using Mahogany Street as a detour with Douglas Shire Council but warned motorists not to get their hopes too far up just yet.

“We are discussing a possible detour with council, however further investigations are required to assess feasibility,” a Main Roads spokesperson said. 

Douglas Shire Council mayor Julia Leu said she and her staff had been in close negotiation with Main Roads management and had been pushing for the detour to be open by the start of school holidays next Friday. 

Cr Leu said she had been getting a ‘very positive response’ from Main Roads but added that even if the detour was opened, it would still face restrictions, including a five-ton limit and only providing access for traffic inbound to Douglas. 

Traffic leaving town would still go through the works on Port Douglas Road, but Cr Leu said that any lifting of the traffic burden would help. 

“Clearly there have been some simply unacceptable delays and we’ve had great concerns about the impact these roadworks are having on businesses that are counting of traffic to earn income at the start of tourist season,” Cr Leu said.