Carpentaria Highway major upgrade

The Australian Government and Northern Territory Government are delivering major upgrades to sections of the Carpentaria Highway.

The Carpentaria Highway is a key access road to the Beetaloo Sub-basin, Borroloola and an important service route for the pastoral, tourism, agricultural and mining sectors.

Carpentaria Highway provides access to the Roper Gulf Region, and about 26 outstations, with a population of approximately 6,505 people, of which 80% are Aboriginal. This road is a key link for health and social services, assisting wider initiatives to improve living standards in Aboriginal communities.

The road is also a key route for Glencore’s McArthur River Mine for provision of supplies and transport of heavy equipment, including 40,000 litres of diesel per day, supplied by road train from Darwin.

Map

Aim

The upgrades will improve safety and travel times, reduce vehicle operating cost and improve flood immunity to increase year round access.

Features

The project involves:

• reconstructing
• widening
• lifting
• other flood immunity improvements
• sealing.

Sealing of the road is being undertaken to a dual-lane standard, meaning one sealed lane in each direction, offering substantial safety benefits for all road users.

Benefits

The project is expected to result in the following benefits, improved:

• efficiency and network reliability
• freight productivity and access to freight gateways
• road safety for all road users, in line with Towards Zero Road Safety Action Plan
• connectivity between people with jobs and services, and goods with markets
• flood immunity, thereby reducing annual road closures
• access to health and social services for remote and Indigenous communities.

Current works

Exact Contracting is continuing to deliver upgrades along Carpentaria Highway.

• Stage 2 – chainage 50 km to 140 km - construction is taking place and is expected to be complete in June 2025.

Construction is taking place 7 days a week between the hours of 6am to 6pm. Some night works may be required.

Detours and traffic management will be in place throughout the project.

Completed works

• Stage 1 – chainage 2 km to 50 km, works completed in September 2024. This section is open to traffic.

Upcoming works

• Stage 3 – chainage 140 km to 175 km including the construction of a new October Creek Bridge - tender for design and construction closes on the 2 December 2024.
• Stage 4 - Stuart Highway and Carpentaria Highway intersection and chainage 0 km to 2 km of Carpentaria Highway – design underway.
• Stage 5 – chainage 175 km to 270 km at Tablelands Highway – planning and investigations in progress.

Contact

For more information, email transport.planning@nt.gov.au or phone 08 8924 7118.