After a steady and determined 3 year effort, the Main Roads Tanami Road Upgrade Project team, have successfully sealed the first 40 kilometres of Tanami Road.  

The first stage, located in Jaru Country, winds through steep hilly terrain with many watercourses, which required significant earthworks and drainage to achieve the 110 km/h design standards.

The scale of the achievement is remarkable.  The works included the construction of 35 km of side tracks, the installation of 80 culverts and 8 floodways, including six large watercourses, all designed to make the road more resilient during the wet season. 

The final hurdle required the lowering of two large hills, which involved controlled blasting, excavation, and carting to remove 50,000 m³ rock from the site to a nearby quarry. 

A massive 67% of all work completed on Stage 1 was undertaken by local East Kimberley businesses with over 35% worth of works completed by Aboriginal businesses.  This is a major win for community participation and economic growth in the Kimberley region.

The Tanami Road Upgrade has achieved a mainly local workforce with around 120 people being employed on the project since it commenced.  Around 60% of all hours worked on Stage 1 were by local Aboriginal peoples from the East Kimberley region.

In 2025, work commenced on stage 2 of the project, which involves sealing a further 32 km of road.