Arthur Highway Road Improvement Strategy
The Arthur Highway Corridor Strategy identifies priority improvements to make travel from the new Sorell Bypass to Port Arthur easier and safer.
About the strategy
We are committed to improving safety on the Arthur Highway to meet the current and future needs of local communities and support economic growth.
The Arthur Highway is a vital gateway and link for residents, businesses, and people visiting Port Arthur, the Eaglehawk Neck area, and the Tasman Peninsula.
The vision for the Arthur Highway over the next 20 years is to provide a safe, efficient, reliable, and consistent travel experience for all road users.
This includes improving road safety outcomes, providing increased overtaking opportunities, and improving the tourism driving experience to facilitate economic growth and development in the region.
We created the Arthur Highway Corridor Strategy to:
- identify the current operating conditions along the Arthur Highway between Sorell and Port Arthur
- assess transport demand and level of service for various modes of transport
- prioritise locations for future improvements and upgrades.
View the Arthur Highway Corridor Strategy here.
Priority upgrades
Based on the findings in the corridor strategy, the highest priority upgrades to be designed for development include installing additional overtaking lanes:
- heading to and from Dunalley
- near Forcett heading towards Sorell
- near the Nubeena Road junction in Taranna heading towards Port Arthur
- improving the Sugarloaf Road intersection in Forcett, which has been the site of several crashes
- improving the road in Eaglehawk Neck between Pirates Road and Mason Point Road, which has also had several crashes
The community will be consulted on the designs for the priority upgrades as they are developed, which are expected to start this year (2025).
Funding
The Tasmanian Government has committed $50 million to upgrade the Arthur Highway with the Australian Government committing a further $200 million.
Community consultation - April 2023
Public consultation for the Arthur Highway Corridor Strategy was open from Monday, 27 March to Sunday, 30 April 2023, and the community was invited to have their say on issues such as safety, public transport, walking, cycling, travel times, and the environment.
While the strategy is focused on the Arthur Highway between Sorell and Port Arthur, we also gathered feedback on potential improvements to the Nubeena Road Loop, which connects Port Arthur back to the Arthur Highway at Taranna. Most of this road is managed by Tasman Council.
We completed our analysis of the feedback received and we have produced a summary report highlighting the findings from the community. You can download the report here.
Accessibility
If you would like to find out more information and you have accessibility requirements, please contact the project consultants, details below. You can find out more about Transport Services' commitment to accessibility on our website here: https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/accessibility
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact our project team via email arthurhighwaycorridor@stategrowth.tas.gov.au or phone on 0408 436 402.