Murchison Highway and Zeehan Highway road improvements
The Australian and Tasmanian governments are upgrading the Murchison and Zeehan Highways as part of the Roads of Strategic Importance program.
About the program
The Murchison Highway and Zeehan Highway are the main and most direct routes for road users between Rosebery and Zeehan on Tasmania’s west coast.
These upgrades will provide a wider and safer road for all road users by curve widening, shoulder sealing, and gravel verges.
More formal overtaking opportunities and strategically located truck pull-off and load checking sites for heavy vehicle users will also be created. These sites will allow heavy vehicle operators space to safely check their loads.
The Murchison Highway has been progressively upgraded from Belvoir Road south to Sterling River Bridge to support future increased demand from mining and tourism traffic.
The Murchison Highway is a key freight and passenger route connecting the west and north regions of Tasmania. It is critical for the movement of freight to Burnie Port for export and to other locations within Tasmania. The majority of mining freight is moved via this road.
1. Current projects
Murchison Highway - Stitt River Bridge to Henty Main Road
These upgrades will provide a wider and safer road for all road users by widening road curves and sealing shoulders and gravel edges.
More overtaking opportunities and strategically located truck pull-off and load checking sites for heavy vehicle users will also be created.
These sites will allow heavy vehicle operators space to safely check their loads.
Stage 1: Zeehan Highway between the Murchison Highway and Henty Main Road
These works include upgrading a 4.72 kilometre section of road on the Zeehan Highway between the Murchison Highway turnoff and Henty Main Road.
The upgrades will provide two 3 metre sealed lanes, 1 metre sealed shoulders and 0.5 metre gravel verges, with additional widening at corners, to improve road safety outcomes.
These upgrades will provide a wider and safer road for all road users by providing curve widening, shoulder sealing, and installation of gravel verges, as well as pull-over opportunities for heavy vehicles to check loads.
2. Timing
Stage 1 works started on Monday, 29 January 2024.
We will be working between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday. We will let you know if we need to work outside these times.
The expected project completion date is May 2025, weather permitting.
3. Completed works
These works are a continuation of the road improvements which have previously been undertaken on the following sections of the Murchison Highway:
- South of Mackintosh Bridge, through Tulla, to Sterling River Bridge
- Pieman Road junction to Mackintosh Bridge
- South of Animal Creek
- Tullah to Cradle Mountain Link Road
- Rosebery to Sterling River over Mount Black.
4. Funding
This project is funded by the Australian and Tasmanian Governments under the Roads of Strategic Importance Program.
Contact details
For further information about the project, please contact our Stakeholder Engagement Consultant, Kate Reilly on (03) 64327916 or by email murchisonupgrade@stategrowth.tas.gov.au