Stage 3 tender award

The Australian Government and Northern Territory Government are progressing major upgrades to the Carpentaria Highway.

A tender has been awarded to Exact Contracting Pty Ltd for the design and construction of Stage 3 of the works. The Stage 3 upgrades will deliver a dual lane seal from chainage 140km to 175km of the Highway. The upgrades include the construction of a new two-lane sealed October Creek Bridge.

The works will include reconstructing, widening, lifting and other flood immunity improvements. The upgrades will improve safety and travel times, reduce vehicle operating costs and improve flood immunity to increase year round access.

The Stage 3 construction is planned to commence in May 2025 and is expected to be completed by December 2025.

During construction, detours and traffic management will be in place to reduce any impact to nearby businesses, properties and all road users.

About the project

The Carpentaria Highway is a key access road to Borroloola and the Beetaloo Sub-basin, and an important service route for the growing mining, pastoral, tourism and agricultural industries.

To enable the developing industries to benefit from the opportunities that are present in the region, there is a reliance on the surrounding road infrastructure to provide efficient transport connections.

The Carpentaria Highway upgrades are being delivered in five stages:

• Stage 1 CH2km to 50km – completed September 2024.
• Stage 2 CH50km to 140km – construction is underway, expected completion in June 2025.
• Stage 3 CH140km to 175km – contract awarded for design and construction.
• Stage 4 Carpentaria and Stuart Highway intersection upgrade - design underway.
• Stage 5 CH175km to 270km - planning and investigation in progress.

Source: Carpentaria Highway major upgrade website