Plenty Highway Upgrading - Project Development and Delivery Phase

Project Description

The Plenty Highway is a regionally significant arterial road, which supports remote communities and agricultural and mining activities. The Plenty Highway is part of the Outback Way, which is a national east-west link connecting Laverton in Western Australia to Winton in Queensland.

The scope of works for this project includes sealing almost 20km of the Plenty Highway to standard two-lane seal.

This project is one of two packages of works on the Outback Way in the Northern Territory being funded under the Northern Australia Roads Program.

These new commitments will build on the Australian Government's current investment of $20 million through the broader Infrastructure Investment Program to to upgrade sections the Outback Way in the Northern Territory.

Benefits

This project will address the urgent priority sections and improve the road service standard for all road users.

The project will provide the following benefits:   

• increased business development opportunities, including pastoral and tourism;
• improved access to remote communities;
• reduced duration and incidence of road closures, through improved flood immunity;
• improved road safety;
• reduced vehicle operating costs for freight and passenger vehicles;
• improved travel times for access to communities, pastoral stations, and tourism destinations.

Funding

The Australian Government has committed up to $20 million towards this $25 million project.

Timetable

Construction commenced in May 2018, and is expected to be completed in early 2019, weather permitting.