$5m NT highway upgrade to boost freight transport

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Prime Mover Magazine  /  November 29, 2016

The $5.8 million safety upgrade to the Carpentaria Highway in the Northern Territory has just been completed.

According to Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Darren Chester, the upgrade of the 3.8 kilometre stretch into Borroloola and the Gulf Region was a key project for the State under the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme.

“This programme is all about improving the efficiency and safety of the national road network so truck drivers can deliver freight on time with less chance of being involved in crashes,” the Minister said.

Northern Territory Senator, Nigel Scullion, said the works were vital to the Territory's economy. “The Carpentaria Highway is the major access route for Borroloola and the Gulf Region, especially for services provided out of Katherine and Darwin,” he said.

“These works have made the highway flatter through the dangerously steep Borroloola Jump Up section, which means it is easier for trucks travelling uphill and much safer for everyone travelling downhill. It also provides better sight distance to oncoming traffic reducing the risk of crashes.”

“Up to 15 pastoral stations rely on the Carpentaria Highway to carry around 30,000 cattle every year to the East Arm Port in Darwin for the live export market, making our investment in this project an investment in the livelihoods of locals and the national economy.”

Northern Territory Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Nicole Manison, said mining and other industries relied on the Carpentaria Highway to do business.

“Getting fuel, as well as all the supplies and heavy equipment, in and out can be a real logistical challenge with wet season load restrictions, which is why we have repaired broken highway pavement and made it more resistant to wet season damage,” she said.

The Carpentaria Highway upgrade was jointly funded by the Australian and Northern Territory governments.

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Northern Territory livestock transport route upgraded

Australasian Transport News (ATN)  /  November 29, 2016

Completed project will improve safety for trucks moving livestock through the NT

A key livestock freight route has been upgraded in northern Australia with the completion of the $5.8 million Carpentaria Highway project.

Part of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme, the works improved a 3.8km stretch of the major access route for the Borroloola and Gulf Region.

Welcoming the news, Northern Territory senator Nigel Scullion says the highway services up to 15 pastoral stations and is vital to the local economy.

"The Carpentaria Highway is the major access route for Borroloola and the Gulf Region, especially for services provided out of Katherine and Darwin," Scullion says.

"These works have made the highway flatter through the dangerously steep Borroloola Jump Up section, which means it is easier for trucks travelling uphill and much safer for everyone travelling downhill.

"It also provides better sight distance to oncoming traffic reducing the risk of crashes.

"Up to 15 pastoral stations rely on the Carpentaria Highway to carry around 30,000 cattle every year to the East Arm Port in Darwin for the live export market, making our investment in this project an investment in the livelihoods of locals and the national economy."

Completed just before wet season begins in the region, Northern Territory deputy chief minister and infrastructure, planning and logistics minister Nicole Manison says the road will help industries, such as mining, that work all year round.

"Getting fuel, as well as all the supplies and heavy equipment, in and out can be a real logistical challenge with wet season load restrictions, which is why we have repaired broken highway pavement and made it more resistant to wet season damage," Manison says.

The upgrade was NT and federally funded.