Media release – Michael Ferguson, Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, 8 July 2021
Lyell Highway upgrade plans released
The state and federal governments are working together to deliver better and safer roads across Tasmania.
Plans for a $19 million program of safety upgrades to the Lyell Highway between Queenstown and Strahan will be released for community feedback tomorrow.
The project involves upgrading nearly 40 kilometres of the highway to improve driver safety. Improvements will include slow vehicle stopping bays, passing lanes, and where possible, improved road alignment by widening highway curves and strengthening the road base.
This upgrade is jointly funded by the Australian and Tasmanian Governments, with the Australian Government committing $15 million under its Roads of Strategic Importance initiative and the Tasmanian Government providing a further $3.75 million.
The Lyell Highway is the most direct travel route between Strahan and Queenstown and beyond to Hobart. As well as carrying freight and local traffic, it is also an important tourist route and forms part of Tasmania’s Western Wilds journey.
Federal Liberal Member for Braddon, Gavin Pearce, said, “the west coast has always been crucial to the state’s economic prosperity and with current investments such as the Mt Owen MBT project nearing completion, this is only set to increase. That’s why investment in road infrastructure is so important.
“The upgrade will ensure ongoing safety for all road users and efficient transportation of the region’s iconic province to market,” Mr Pearce said.
The plans can be viewed until Friday, 23 July 2021 at Derwent Bridge Wilderness Hotel; Derwent Bridge Tourist Information Board; West Coast Council at Queenstown and Strahan; West Coast Visitor Information Centre; Queenstown Library; Strahan Library; and Zeehan Library.
Suggestion boxes for feedback will be available at the Derwent Bridge Wilderness Hotel, the West Coast Council Office in Queenstown, West Coast Visitor Information Centre in Strahan and the Zeehan Library. For further information or to view the plans online visit the Transport website: https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/projectsplanning/road_projects/north_west_road_projects/lyell_highway_safety_upgrade_queenstown_to_strahan
Tenders are currently being invited to deliver the project, and construction is expected to start later in 2021.
Tasman Highway reopens to traffic at Paradise Gorge
It is with great pleasure to report that the first vehicles have travelled through Paradise Gorge on the Tasman Highway following the removal of overhanging rocks.
Barriers were removed from this section of the road at 7:00am this morning as scheduled.
We understand the impact this necessary work has had on local communities and we thank them for their understanding during the road works.
The project involved removing an estimated 2,000 tonnes of rocks that had been identified as posing a high risk of rock fall.
In addition to the rock removal works, a range of additional works have been completed both at the site and further along the Tasman Highway, including cutting back vegetation, cleaning roadside drains, replacing guide posts, repairing gabion walls and safety fencing, inspecting other rock mesh and restraints, and removing rubbish.
The cutting back and removal of vegetation means more of the rock in the area is now visible. All of the high-risk rock has been removed and we will continue to monitor the area both by regular inspections and remote monitoring systems.
Traffic is restricted to one lane along a 300-metre section where some final works are being completed before returning the road to normal two-lane operations.
These works include installing mesh on the rockface, repairing the retaining wall along the river and finally resurfacing the road, and are expected to take six weeks.
A 40 km/h speed limit and traffic management controls will be in place while this work is completed. While we appreciate there will be interest in the changed rockface, we ask drivers to pay attention to their speed and the traffic control measures, and other vehicles as work is continuing and workers and machinery will still be operating in the area.
For further information and regular updates visit www.transport.tas.gov.au/orford.
