Outback Highway

Not to be confused with Barndioota Road, which is sometimes referred to as "the Outback Highway".

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.^[2]

Outback Highway Western Australia –Queensland
The Kennedy Development Road between Middleton and Boulia, 2011
West end East end
Coordinates	28°37′32″S 122°24′05″E / 28.625671°S 122.401344°E / -28.625671; 122.401344 (West end) 22°23′26″S 143°02′28″E / 22.390557°S 143.041199°E / -22.390557; 143.041199 (East end)
General information
Type	Track
Length	2,719 km (1,690 mi)^[1]
Major junctions
West end	Laverton Leonora Road Laverton, Western Australia
	Gunbarrel Highway Stuart Highway Diamantina Developmental Road
East end	Landsborough Highway Winton, Queensland
Location(s)
Region	Goldfields-Esperance Central Australia Central West Queensland
via	Warburton, Yulara, Alice Springs, Boulia
Restrictions
Permits	5 required
Fuel supply	Laverton 28°37′27″S 122°23′47″E / 28.624120°S 122.396416°E / -28.624120; 122.396416 Tjukayirla Roadhouse 27°09′19″S 124°34′29″E / 27.155334°S 124.574817°E / -27.155334; 124.574817 Warburton (26°07′55″S 126°34′08″E / 26.131861°S 126.569026°E / -26.131861; 126.569026 Warakurna Roadhouse 25°02′34″S 128°18′12″E / 25.042906°S 128.303417°E / -25.042906; 128.303417 Kaltukatjara 24°52′25″S 129°05′00″E / 24.873483°S 129.083220°E / -24.873483; 129.083220 Atitjere 22°59′03″S 134°56′08″E / 22.984045°S 134.935457°E / -22.984045; 134.935457 Tobermorey Roadhouse 22°16′28″S 137°58′25″E / 22.274469°S 137.973721°E / -22.274469; 137.973721

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.^[3]

Roads that make up the highway are:

• Great Central Road
• Gunbarrel Highway
• Lasseter Highway
• Stuart Highway
• Plenty Highway
• Donohue Highway
• Kennedy Development Road

Support for the project is strong amongst local government areas along the route and elsewhere.^[4] 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 1200km to seal.

Major intersections

State/Territory	LGA	Location^[1]	km^[1]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Western Australia	Laverton	Laverton	0	0.0	Laverton–Leonora Road – Leonora	Western terminus of highway Continues east as Great Central Road
		Warburton	554	344	Connie Sue Highway – Rawlinna
	Ngaanyatjarraku	Warakurna/Giles	781	485	Old Gunbarrel Highway – Carnegie	Concurrency with Gunbarrel Highway
			807	501	Gunbarrel Highway – Pipalyatjara
Western Australia – Northern Territory border			870	540	Western Australia – Northern Territory border	Continues east as Great Central Road Continues west as   Tjukaruru Road
Northern Territory	MacDonnell Region	Kaltukatjara	878	546	Lungkata Road – Kaltukatjara
	unincorporated area	Yulara	1,107	688	Yulara Drive – Yulara	Continues east as   Tjukaruru Road Continues east as   Lasseter Highway
	MacDonnell Region	Erldunda	1,351	839	Stuart Highway (A87 south) – Coober Pedy, Port Augusta, Adelaide	Continues west as   Lasseter Highway Continues north as   Stuart Highway
	Alice Springs	Alice Springs	1,546	961	Ross Highway (B8) – Arltunga Historical Reserve
			1,550	960	Larapinta Drive (B6) – Hermannsburg, Mereenie
	MacDonnell Region	Burt Plain	1,570	980	Tanami Road (C5) – Tanami
			1,620	1,010	Stuart Highway (A87 north) – Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin	Continues south as   Stuart Highway Continues north as   Plenty Highway
Northern Territory – Queensland border			2,116	1,315	Northern Territory – Queensland border	Continues west as   Plenty Highway Continues east as Donohue Highway
Queensland	Boulia	Boulia	2,363	1,468	Diamantina Developmental Road (National Route 83) – Mount Isa, Bedourie, Birdsville	Continues west as Donohue Highway Continues east as   Kennedy Developmental Road
	Winton	Winton	2,719	1,690	Landsborough Highway (A2) – Cloncurry, Longreach	Eastern terminus of highway Continues west as   Kennedy Developmental Road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Route transition

See also

•  Australian Roads portal
•  Australia portal

• Highways in Australia
• List of highways in the Northern Territory
• List of highways in Queensland
• List of highways in Western Australia

References

1. Google (28 May 2022). "Outback Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
2. Morris, Nathan (3 October 2016). "The Outback Way: What a sealed road from WA to Queensland will mean for regional communities". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
3. BSD Consultants.(1998) Outback Highway feasibility study : final report / prepared for Main Roads Western Australia, Northern Territory Department of Transport and Works, and Main Roads Queensland ; prepared by BSD Consultants Pty. Ltd. Subiaco, WA "March 1998"
4. "Councils back outback highway push". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.

Further reading

• Ham, Anthony (13 June 2022). "The Outback Way: Is this the world's emptiest road?". BBC Travel. Retrieved 20 June 2022.

External links

• Outback Highway official website