WORK ON MIDLAND HIGHWAY WELCOMED

FEDERAL Lyons MP Eric Hutchinson has welcomed the start of works on the Midland Highway to improve safety.

State Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding today detailed six road safety priority projects on the Midland Highway which started last week and are expected to be finished by April, next year.

Mr Hutchinson said that the news would be welcomed by Tasmanian road users waiting on the much-anticipated upgrade of the Midland Highway.

The Federal Government has committed to spending $400 million over 10 years on major improvements to the Midland Highway while the State Government will contribute $100 million.

Mr Hutchinson urged road users to be patient with any disruption caused by road works as the safety improvements are carried out.

More than $16 million will be spent on the six projects over the next four months and will employ about 180 people.

The six sites where work has started are:

• South of Kempton, $4.4 million for road widening over3 km to install safety barrier.
• South of Spring Hill, $4.3 million for road widening over 3km to install safety barrier.
• North of Spring Hill, $3.4 million for road widening for safety barrier.
• South of Tunbridge, $1.1 million for curve improvement.
• Esk Main Rd, $1.6 million for acceleration lane at Conara junction.
• Kings Meadows Connector, $1.2 million for new roundabout to Midland Highway.

Local construction firms Shaw Contracting, Hazell Bros and VEC Civil Engineering have won the contracts for the six individual projects.
FEDERAL Lyons MP Eric Hutchinson