In 2022, the Commonwealth and Western Australian State Government committed $50m as part of the Northern Australia Freight Productivity Program for the construction of priority overtaking lanes on the 440km stretch of Great Northern Highway between Newman and Port Hedland, supporting the mining industry and other road users.
Great Northern Highway carries a mix of traffic including light vehicles, towing vehicles (tourists), road trains and oversize over mass (OSOM) vehicles, all of which travel at varying speeds. Currently 73.8% of this traffic is heavy vehicles.
Construction of these overtaking lanes will help reduce conflict between heavy and light vehicles by providing safer overtaking opportunities.
This project propses delivery of 11 overtaking lanes, in two packages:
Package One – Newman to Auski
- Three southbound overtaking lanes and two northbound overtaking lanes
Package Two – Auski to Port Hedland
- Two southbound overtaking lanes and four northbound overtaking lanes
The work forms part of the proposed Northern Australia Freight Productivity Program which is intended to deliver upgrades to high priority roads in northern Western Australia essential for the movement of people and freight to support the North's economic development.
