Plenty more road now sealed on the Plenty Highway
A further 27-kilometre section of the Plenty Highway in central Australia has been sealed, improving access for remote communities and strengthening critical road infrastructure. The newly sealed section of the Plenty Highway extends from three kilometres west of the Plenty River to the Lucy Creek access road turn off, including access to the Jervois Station Roadhouse.
This completion brings the total length of sealed dual lanes to 155 kilometres. The program will deliver safer and more reliable journeys by widening 80 kilometres of single lane sections along the Plenty Highway to a dual lane seal. The Plenty Highway is a 499-kilometre highway connecting the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory to the Donohue Highway in Queensland.
It forms a key part of the Outback Way, a 2,720-kilometre route connecting Laverton in Western Australia to Winton in Queensland via Alice Springs. The works carried out by Aldebaran Contracting included: Construction of a concrete causeway at the Plenty and Marshall River Crossings at Bonya Creek Realignment of the Lucy Creek Mine intersection to improve safety for motorists Construction of four floodways and seven culverts Formalising six intersections, including installing cattle grids at the Atula, Batton Hill, Marshall Rest Area, Jervois Homestead, Bonya, and Lucy Creek Mine access roads.
The 27-kilometre section forms part of the Plenty Highway project delivered under the $217.5 million Outback Way Corridor Upgrade – NT project. This project is jointly funded with the Australian Government contributing $174.0 million and the NT Government contributing $43.5 million. The upgrades will improve the transport network by increasing accessibility to remote communities, enhancing road safety and increasing flood immunity.
The completion of these upgrades means safer journeys and shorter travel times for freight and passenger vehicles travelling the Plenty Highway. For more information, visit: dli.nt.gov.au/projects (link is external) Quotes attributable to Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King: “Upgrading this critical road infrastructure is about connecting the bush and ensuring remote communities, freight operators, and tourists have year-round, reliable access on the Plenty Highway.
“By investing in these outback links, we are ensuring remote Australians are better connected to essential services, while unlocking the full potential of our tourism and freight sectors.” Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy: “The Albanese Government is investing in critical road infrastructure upgrades to improve safety and increase accessibility for Territorians living in our remote communities.
“The sealing of this new section of the Plenty Highway is another example of how we’re delivering for remote Territorians, freight operators and tourists exploring Central Australia.” Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour: “This milestone is another step forward in fully sealing the Plenty Highway, which will build equity for the bush, boost local tourism and ensure remote Australians are connected to the rest of the country through safer, more resilient roads.
“Connecting the bush through modern, upgraded road infrastructure, unlocks real economic opportunities for central Australia which creates local jobs, reduces freight costs, and ensures our remote industries keep moving safely all year.” Quotes attributable to NT Minister for Logistics and Infrastructure Bill Yan: “As a key transport corridor for the Territory, upgrading the Plenty Highway will drive economic growth across the mining, agriculture, and tourism sectors while providing safer, more reliable connections for our remote communities.” Subscribe and stay up to date Connect with us PM&C acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, water and community.
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