en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Tasmanian Government has released an official strategy aimed at improving safety and efficiency on the Ridgley Highway.
As a vital transport link connecting northwest Tasmania to the west coast, the Ridgley Highway runs between Burnie and the Murchison Highway, serving as a key freight corridor for the local mining, forestry, and tourism industries. The strategy identifies major safety challenges on the winding road sections between Highclere and Hampshire, as well as the intersection of Mount Street near Burnie. Key issues requiring urgent attention include numerous curves, narrow roadways, ongoing pavement deterioration, and a lack of central separation facilities.
Based on this assessment, the strategy proposes a series of improvement measures: adding overtaking sections such as climbing lanes to enhance travel time reliability and provide safe passing opportunities; upgrading intersections, particularly by incorporating left and right turn lanes for large turning vehicles; improving bicycle and pedestrian pathways; strengthening safety measures for heavy vehicles within the corridor; implementing road widening and alignment optimization to improve curves and sight distances; and deploying targeted safety barriers. Additionally, low-cost improvement opportunities, such as updating signage and road markings, are also identified.
Catherine King, the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, stated that prioritizing key upgrades for this corridor is intended to ensure federal investment genuinely enhances road safety and traffic efficiency for communities in the northwest and west coast. She noted that the investment plan fully incorporates feedback from local Tasmanian residents and will involve phased upgrades to high-risk sections, providing drivers with a safer and smoother travel experience. The federal government has committed to jointly investing $27.2 million with the state government for the highway upgrade project.
State Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Kerry Vincent, outlined that the 20-year development goal for the Ridgley Highway is to create a safe, reliable, and consistent road environment for all road users. He emphasized the corridor's significant importance for freight transport, stating that the state government is committed to delivering various infrastructure projects to effectively improve freight accessibility, enhance productivity, and ensure safety in Tasmania. Priority projects identified through this strategy will proceed to phased design and implementation.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
