What's happening
Completion of Tickalara Creek and Frog Hollow Creek bridges!
Dual lane bridge construction at Tickalara Creek and Frog Hollow Creek was completed in June 2024. The adjacent roadworks were finalised by late 2024 and the new highway alignment is open to traffic.
This milestone forms part of a broader upgrade of approximately 26 kilometres of the Great Northern Highway, widening the seal from six to eleven metres to enhance safety and reliability for the Kimberley region. The project began in 2019 but faced delays due to COVID-19. Main Roads WA successfully delivered the roadworks and bridge approaches under direct management, using predominantly local resources from the East Kimberley region.
Aboriginal engagement was a key focus of the project, with nearly 15% of total expenditure allocated to Aboriginal businesses and 23% of total workforce hours undertaken by Aboriginal employees—demonstrating our commitment to supporting local communities and creating sustainable employment opportunities.
Road users are now reaping the benefits of the highway:
- Safety improvements – through the construction of wider bridges with two lanes instead of one and improved road geometry.
- More efficient journeys – less stop/start movements crossing the creeks.
- Less flood impacts – the new bridges are designed to withstand a 100-year flood event.
- Local economic boost – supporting local job creation and procurement of local businesses.
This $33 million project was jointly funded by the Australian Government ($26.4 million) and the Western Australian Government ($6.6 million), as part of a long-term plan to improve the Great Northern Highway between Halls Creek and Kununurra.
Read the latest Construction Update for more information.
safety
economic growth
the risk of a crash