The Outback Highway or Outback Way is a series of roads and dirt tracks linking Laverton, Western Australia and Winton, Queensland. At 2,719 km (1,690 mi), it crosses Central Australia (colloquially known as the Outback), passing through Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.

Proposed upgrade

It has been proposed as a development to provide an inland route between southern Western Australia and northern Queensland as an alternative to the National Highway 1 along either coast.

Roads that make up the highway are:

Support for the project is strong amongst local government areas along the route and elsewhere. The project has secured over $400 million in funding; 80% Federal funding and 20% from the Western Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland governments. As at June 2021 there is 1200 km to seal.

Major intersections

State/TerritoryLGALocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
Western AustraliaLavertonLaverton00.0Laverton–Leonora Road– LeonoraWestern terminus of highway Continues east as Great Central Road
Warburton554344Connie Sue Highway– Rawlinna
NgaanyatjarrakuWarakurna/Giles781485Old Gunbarrel Highway – CarnegieConcurrency with Gunbarrel Highway
807501Gunbarrel Highway – Pipalyatjara
Western Australia – Northern Territory border870540Western Australia – Northern Territory borderContinues east as Great Central Road Continues west as Tjukaruru Road
Northern TerritoryMacDonnell RegionKaltukatjara878546Lungkata Road– Kaltukatjara
unincorporated areaYulara1,107688Yulara Drive– YularaContinues east as Tjukaruru Road Continues east as Lasseter Highway
MacDonnell RegionErldunda1,351839Stuart Highway (A87 south) – Coober Pedy, Port Augusta, AdelaideContinues west as Lasseter Highway Continues north as Stuart Highway
Alice SpringsAlice Springs1,546961Ross Highway (B8) – Arltunga Historical Reserve
1,550960Larapinta Drive (B6)– Hermannsburg, Mereenie
MacDonnell RegionBurt Plain1,570980Tanami Road (C5)– Tanami
1,6201,010Stuart Highway (A87 north)– Tennant Creek, Katherine, DarwinContinues south as Stuart Highway Continues north as Plenty Highway
Northern Territory – Queensland border2,1161,315Northern Territory – Queensland borderContinues west as Plenty Highway Continues east as Donohue Highway
QueenslandBouliaBoulia2,3631,468Diamantina Developmental Road (National Route 83) – Mount Isa, Bedourie, BirdsvilleContinues west as Donohue Highway Continues east as Kennedy Developmental Road
WintonWinton2,7191,690Landsborough Highway (A2) – Cloncurry, LongreachEastern terminus of highway Continues west as Kennedy Developmental Road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminusRoute transition

See also

Further reading

  • Ham, Anthony (13 June 2022). . BBC Travel. from the original on 20 June 2022.

External links