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Road set for $43m upgrade

Taylar AmoniniNorth West Telegraph

After years of funding delays and red tape, Marble Bar Road is set for realignment and reconstruction as it passes through Coongan Gorge.

The $43.58 million flagged in last year’s Northern Australia Roads Program will finally be put to use as Main Roads announced an upgrade for the 4km section.

Speaking at the Port Hedland Chamber of Commerce Business Breakfast, Main Roads asset manager Scott Buckingham said the upgrade would bring the road to current standards and improve safety and efficiency for all road users. “We did a trial to see if ... road trains could get through the gorge safely and unfortunately they couldn’t get through without crossing the line and endangering vehicles coming the other way,” he said.

“So the project will realign to road, straighten it out and take out some of the geometric constraints along that stretch of road.”

Additional geotechnical investigations are taking place to determine slope stability and competency of rock in the section in the lead-up to the commencement.

The realignment and reconstruction is set to start in March and the work has about a 12-month timeline.

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