Australia’s Longest Shortcut
Project Overview:
The Outback Way is a 2,700 km iconic route from Laverton in Western Australia to Winton in Queensland via Alice Springs—often referred to as “Australia’s Longest Shortcut.” Over 1,400 km of the route remains unsealed, including almost 800 km of Great Central Road, which is the WA section of the route.
In December 2019, the Wongutha Way Alliance was formed between Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA), CareyMC, and Central Earthmoving to deliver Work Package 1—40 km of sealed road on the Great Central Road heading east from Laverton. The purpose of the Alliance was to:
“Make best use of the budget made available for the Project… and to maximize the total length and extent of improvement and to maximize local business and local Aboriginal participation and employment through the works.”
Scope of Works:
- Water Infrastructure:
- Water drilling and water infrastructure construction.
- Pavement Gravel:
- Gravel pit establishment and rehabilitation.
- Road Construction:
- Embankment foundation and earthworks.
- Pavement construction.
- Drainage installation.
- Sealing of the road.
- Signage and Markings:
- Installation of signs and line markings.
- Design Development:
- Design development for future work packages.
Project Timeline and Execution:
Initial works began onsite in early 2020 with water drilling and gravel investigations in an area known for its limited supplies. These investigations were successful, allowing all basecourse gravel and construction water to be sourced from locations along the constructed road alignment.
Road construction commenced in earnest in August 2020, with practical completion for the 40 km of road construction successfully achieved on 17th September 2021—three weeks ahead of the revised schedule.
Project Details:
- Location: Great Central Road, Laverton WA
- Client: MRWA
- Duration: December 2019 – Ongoing
- Contract Type: Alliance
Key Project Achievements:
- Road Construction: Completion of 40 km of road construction in a remote location.
- Safety Record: LTIFR (Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate) of 0.00.
- Aboriginal Participation: Over 40% of site hours were worked by Aboriginal people, with 17% of total site hours by local Aboriginal people.
- Local Business Involvement: 24.8% of the contract value was spent with local businesses.
- Training and Upskilling: Delivery of two training programs over the course of the project, resulting in the upskilling of untrained people in the area of civil construction.
