Great Central Road Sealing Outback Way

Overview

Road
Project type
$678 million
Total budget
Under Construction
Project phase
Main Roads WA
Lead agency
TBC
Jobs supported

The Outback Way is an iconic 2,800 kilometre route from Laverton in Western Australia to Winton in Queensland via Alice Springs. It is often referred to as Australia’s Longest Shortcut.

The Great Central Road is the gazetted name for the route within WA and it consists of the 872 kilometre section from Laverton to the WA/NT border, of which 736 kilometres is currently unsealed.

A 50km section of road was sealed in 2018 by the Shire of Laverton, followed by another 40km section of road by Main Roads Western Australia in 2021. The next phases will be near the communities of Cosmo Newberry, Warburton and Warakuna, east of Laverton.

Funding has been allocated to seal the remainder of the Outback Way by 2030.

Benefits

Improved transport network across Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland
Improved road safety
Increased regional connectivity and reduce travel times
Improved access to health and social services
Local job and contract opportunities