The Outback Highway or Outback Way is a series of roads and dirt tracks linking Laverton, Western Australia and Winton, Queensland. At 2,719 km (1,690 mi), it crosses Central Australia (colloquially known as the Outback), passing through Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.[2]
Outback Highway –Queensland | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The Kennedy Development Road between Middleton and Boulia, 2011 | |
  West end East end | |
| Coordinates | |
| General information | |
| Type | Track |
| Length | 2,719 km (1,690 mi)[1] |
| Major junctions | |
| West end | Laverton Leonora Road Laverton, Western Australia |
| East end |  Landsborough HighwayWinton, Queensland |
| Location(s) | |
| Region | Goldfields-Esperance Central Australia Central West Queensland |
| via | Warburton, Yulara, Alice Springs, Boulia |
| Restrictions | |
| Permits | 5 required |
| Fuel supply | Laverton 28°37′27″S 122°23′47″E / 28.624120°S 122.396416°E Tjukayirla Roadhouse 27°09′19″S 124°34′29″E / 27.155334°S 124.574817°E Warburton (26°07′55″S 126°34′08″E / 26.131861°S 126.569026°E Warakurna Roadhouse 25°02′34″S 128°18′12″E / 25.042906°S 128.303417°E Kaltukatjara 24°52′25″S 129°05′00″E / 24.873483°S 129.083220°E Atitjere 22°59′03″S 134°56′08″E / 22.984045°S 134.935457°E Tobermorey Roadhouse 22°16′28″S 137°58′25″E / 22.274469°S 137.973721°E |
Proposed upgrade
editIt has been proposed as a development to provide an inland route between southern Western Australia and northern Queensland as an alternative to the National Highway 1 along either coast.[3]
Roads that make up the highway are:
- Great Central Road
- Gunbarrel Highway
- Lasseter Highway
- Stuart Highway
- Plenty Highway
- Donohue Highway
- Kennedy Development Road
Support for the project is strong amongst local government areas along the route and elsewhere.[4] The project has secured over $400 million in funding; 80% Federal funding and 20% from the Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland governments. As at June 2021 there is 1200km to seal.
Major intersections
edit| State/Territory | LGA | Location[1] | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Australia | Laverton | Laverton | 0 | 0.0 | Laverton–Leonora Road – Leonora | Western terminus of highway Continues east as Great Central Road |
| Warburton | 554 | 344 | Connie Sue Highway – Rawlinna | |||
| Ngaanyatjarraku | Warakurna/Giles | 781 | 485 | Old Gunbarrel Highway – Carnegie | Concurrency with Gunbarrel Highway | |
| 807 | 501 | Gunbarrel Highway – Pipalyatjara | ||||
| Western Australia – Northern Territory border | 870 | 540 | Western Australia – Northern Territory border | Continues east as Great Central Road Continues west as  Tjukaruru Road | ||
| Northern Territory | MacDonnell Region | Kaltukatjara | 878 | 546 | Lungkata Road – Kaltukatjara | |
| unincorporated area | Yulara | 1,107 | 688 | Yulara Drive – Yulara | Continues east as Tjukaruru Road Continues east as  Lasseter Highway | |
| MacDonnell Region | Erldunda | 1,351 | 839 |  Stuart Highway (A87 south) – Coober Pedy, Port Augusta, Adelaide | Continues west as Lasseter Highway Continues north as Stuart Highway | |
| Alice Springs | Alice Springs | 1,546 | 961 |  Ross Highway (B8) – Arltunga Historical Reserve | ||
| 1,550 | 960 |  Larapinta Drive (B6) – Hermannsburg, Mereenie | ||||
| MacDonnell Region | Burt Plain | 1,570 | 980 |  Tanami Road (C5) – Tanami | ||
| 1,620 | 1,010 | Stuart Highway (A87 north) – Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin | Continues south as Stuart Highway Continues north as  Plenty Highway | |||
| Northern Territory – Queensland border | 2,116 | 1,315 | Northern Territory – Queensland border | Continues west as Plenty Highway Continues east as Donohue Highway | ||
| Queensland | Boulia | Boulia | 2,363 | 1,468 |  Diamantina Developmental Road (National Route 83) – Mount Isa, Bedourie, Birdsville | Continues west as Donohue Highway Continues east as  Kennedy Developmental Road |
| Winton | Winton | 2,719 | 1,690 | Landsborough Highway (A2) – Cloncurry, Longreach | Eastern terminus of highway Continues west as Kennedy Developmental Road | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| ||||||
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c "Outback Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ Morris, Nathan (3 October 2016). "The Outback Way: What a sealed road from WA to Queensland will mean for regional communities". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 3 October 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- ^ BSD Consultants.(1998) Outback Highway feasibility study : final report / prepared for Main Roads Western Australia, Northern Territory Department of Transport and Works, and Main Roads Queensland ; prepared by BSD Consultants Pty. Ltd. Subiaco, WA "March 1998"
- ^ "Councils back outback highway push". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 June 2011. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
Further reading
edit- Ham, Anthony (13 June 2022). "The Outback Way: Is this the world's emptiest road?". BBC Travel. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.