Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Minister Eva Lawler announces $1m road widening upgrades for Litchfield Park Road
The popular road from Batchelor through to Buley Rockhole and Florence Falls is set to be widened to make for a safer and more comfortable visitor experience.
Northern Territory
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THE popular thoroughfare from Batchelor to Buley Rockhole and Florence Falls will undergo road widening, to make for a safer and more comfortable visitor experience.
The $1m upgrades to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Top End will be completed by local business Ostojic Group.
Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Minister Eva Lawler said that widening the roads would make for a more memorable experience for tourists looking to explore the best parts of the Northern Territory.
“Litchfield Park Road has been progressively upgraded and sealed over a number of years to improve flood resilience, road safety and increase access to Litchfield Park and surrounds,” she said.
“We are making it easier and safer to travel on our roads while also providing more opportunities for communities, tourism, pastoral and agriculture industries to grow and support more local jobs.”
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The road works come as part of the Litchfield Park Road safety improvements program, addressing road safety and fatigue management issues under the stimulus program including lane and shoulder widening and sealing on this key tourism route.
Works include road traffic lane and shoulder widening along identified sections of Litchfield Park Road, extension and reconstruction of culverts at six locations – including installation of protection works at select culverts – reconstruction of table drains and reinstating road infrastructure.
Ms Lawler said that constant improvement of roads would help lower the fatality rate and make for safer driving.
“Safer roads is a cornerstone of our Towards Zero strategy,” she said.
“In the Territory, approximately 60 per cent of fatalities are due to ‘ran off road’ crashes, which is why the work to widen and improve safety on Litchfield Park Road is important.”
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The scope is also closely aligned with national objectives to adopt Safe Systems principles outlined in the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-20.
The federal strategy aims to reduce the annual numbers of deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads by at least 30 per cent.
The upgrades project is jointly funded by the Territory government and federal government.
Works are scheduled to begin this coming week.
Litchfield Park will remain accessible throughout the works, however speed restrictions and lane closures will be put in place.
Originally published as Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Minister Eva Lawler announces $1m road widening upgrades for Litchfield Park Road
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