Over $40 million has been awarded to Northern Territory business Aldebaran Contracting to upgrade and seal part of Central Australia’s iconic Outback Way.
The Territory government has awarded the contract to seal a 27km section of the iconic road, also known as Australia’s longest shortcut, in what is another step to easing the journey of truckies travelling through the nation’s centre.
The upgrades will take place on the Plenty Highway, which is one of seven interconnected roads that make up the The Outback Way which, in total, runs for over 2700km, roughly half of which is unsealed.
The $44 million upgrade has been funding by the Territory and federal governments in the hope it will provide benefits to remote communities through increased tourism, mining and freight access.
Concrete causeways will be constructed at the crossings of the Plenty and Marshall rivers and Bonya Creek. The intersections to Bonya community and the Jervois Station Roadhouse will be formalised, upgraded and sealed.
The section of the road being upgraded is roughly a 350km drive east of Alice Springs.
Works will also include the relocation and realignment of the Lucy Creek mine intersection to improve sight distance and address safety concerns.
Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Joel Bowden says the upgrades are part of the continuing work to open up the Northern Territory’s roads.
“With the majority of the unsealed section of the highway below natural surface level, heavy rain can cause road closures and heavy vehicle restrictions, which is why we will continue to progress the sealing of this key highway,” Bowden says.
“This multi-million-dollar project on the Plenty Highway in Australia will improve road safety and reduce travel time for Territorians, drive visitors and all motorists that use this key route.”
Works are planned to commence in late July and be completed by December 2025.
The project is expected to support 62 employees including 15 Indigenous employees and 14 apprentices.
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