Contract awarded to further upgrade Tanami Road in NT

A further 34 kilometres of the Tanami Road in the Northern Territory will soon be upgraded following the award of the contract to deliver the works.

Tanami Road is a vital inter-regional link that services many Aboriginal communities, and it is also a key tourism, pastoral, mining and freight route.

Local business Exact Contracting has been awarded a $49.5 million contract to upgrade the road between Renehans Bore and Refrigerator Bore.

Works will commence in early 2026 and it will include upgrading the existing gravel road to a two-lane sealed standard, with road safety enhancements and additional culverts to improve drainage. The project is expected to be completed by November of this year.

The Tanami Road upgrades are part of the Australian and Northern Territory Governments’ investment in key Territory roads.

The upgrades are being delivered in stages, with another package of works currently being delivered on a 21-kilometre section by Sitzler Pty Ltd – who were awarded a $26 million contract in October 2025.

It follows the sealing of 150 kilometres of the Tanami Road from Yuendumu to west of Chilla Well that was completed in June 2025.

“Sealing and upgrading the Tanami Road is reducing disruption during the wet season, improving road safety and giving communities greater certainty when it comes to access to essential goods and services.

“The investment from the Australian Government, in partnership with the NT Government, to seal the next section of the Tanami will extend those benefits a further 34 kilometres,” Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said.

“The projects support regional economic development.

“The NT Government’s Infrastructure Plan committed $2 billion in targeted road improvements and this investment is already unlocking real work on the ground.

“Better roads mean better outcomes for freight, mining, tourism and locals – and this is exactly what we’re delivering as part of our year of action, certainty and security,” NT Minister for Logistics and Infrastructure Bill Yan said.

Project map (source: NT Department of Logistics and Infrastructure)

Building on its recent contract award, Exact Contracting is also continuing upgrades to the Carpentaria Highway, which is a key access road to the Beetaloo Sub-basin as well as an important service route for tourism, pastoral, agricultural and mining sectors.

This $68 million package of works will upgrade a further 35 kilometres of the highway and deliver a new bridge at October Creek by June of this year.

Further south, works are also underway to seal a 27-kilometre section of Plenty Highway. This is part of a joint investment by the Australian and Northern Territory Governments to develop the Outback Way as a fully sealed east-west transport link through central Australia.

This Plenty Highway upgrade is being delivered by Aldebaran Contracting and it will bring the total length of dual lane seal on the highway to 155 kilometres when completed.

In Kakadu National Park, the first works under the Australian Government funded $70 million Road Upgrades (Kakadu National Park) program has started. Amrock Civil is currently progressing the first package of works which will upgrade and realign a two-kilometre section of Kubara Road. This project is expected to be completed in May 2026, delivered under a $1.55 million contract that was awarded in October 2025.

Lastly, DAC Enterprises was awarded a contract valued at almost $9 million in January 2026 to upgrade 8 kilometres of Maguk Road. Works are anticipated to commence at the onset of the dry season and be completed by January 2027.

“The Albanese Labor Government is committed to improving road infrastructure right across the Northern Territory.

“The sealing of these roads will bring more economic opportunities to our regions while also allowing remote Territorians to get around easier to visit family and access services in the bigger hub towns.

“Delivering for the bush is a key priority of mine and I’ll keep fighting in Canberra to deliver for remote Territorians,” Federal Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour said.

Source: Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government; Inside State Government; Northern Territory Government – Department of Logistics and Infrastructure