An eight kilometre stretch of Stuart Highway near Daly Waters, south of Katherine in the Northern Territory, will soon be upgraded to improve flood immunity following the award of a $350,000 design contract to GHD Pty Ltd.
The works will be delivered as part of the Australian and Northern Territory Governments jointly funded $217 million Northern Territory Industry Roads program that will upgrade priority roads across the Territory to support local industries such as pastoral, fishing and tourism enterprises.
The construction-ready design for this project will include an engineering survey and geotechnical investigation on this key transport and logistics route.
Not only will the road improvements provide better flood resilience to this section of the Stuart Highway, but it will help improve connectivity, freight productivity and access as well as road safety and access to health and social services for remote communities.
The construction tender for this Stuart Highway upgrade will be released after design completion, and major works are expected to begin mid-2025.
“The Territory Labor Government is building a stronger, more resilient road network to improve the Territory’s connectivity with the rest of Australia.
“We are planning for the future and these projects will improve flood resilience for the Territory’s connections to the national highway network.
“By investing in the Territory’s roads, we continue to improve year-round connectivity and unlock economic opportunities here in the NT,” Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Joel Bowden said.
Planning is already well underway to determine the scope of the remaining upgrades to be delivered under the Northern Territory Industry Roads program. This includes engaging with industry and relevant stakeholders to ensure funding is directed to where it matters most for Territorians.
The Territory Government is also planning for and delivering long-term upgrades along Central Arnhem Road that connects Nhulunbuy to the Stuart Highway.
A $990,000 contract has been awarded to Douglas Partners Pty Ltd to carry out geotechnical investigations on the Central Arnhem Road, which will help inform three upgrade packages that will improve flood immunity, road safety, travel time and accessibility.
Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom; Roads & Infrastructure Australia; Infrastructure Magazine; Roads Australia