Work to prepare a strategy for a $100 million upgrade to the Lyell Highway between Granton and New Norfolk has begun.
The Australian and Tasmanian governments have each committed $80 million and $20 million, respectively, to the project, which aims to improve safety, travel times and the overall quality of the highway.
The upgrades will include adding lanes, widening and realigning sections of the highway and are part of a larger strategy to enhance the entire length of the highway from Granton to Strahan.
The 15km section of road from the Bridgewater Bridge to New Norfolk currently has a single lane in each direction and various speed limits.
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the upgrade will boost safety and make travel times more reliable along narrow sections of the highway.
“This will greatly improve access to tourism hotspots and vital community facilities in New Norfolk and the Derwent Valley,” she said.
Around 10,500 vehicles travel between Granton and New Norfolk daily, a figure Minister Guy Barnett said has grown 25% over the past 10 years.
“Apart from increasing numbers heading to the West Coast, New Norfolk itself is growing,” he said.
“New residential development is attracting more people seeking reasonably priced housing within easy commuting distance of the city.”
“These improvements will couple with work currently underway as part of the Bridgewater Bridge project to provide a smoother, more seamless connection with the Brooker Highway.”
Construction engineering company Aecom Australia has been tasked with preparing a strategy for improving the road.
