Work begins on sealing of Burkett Road in Exmouth Shire

15/8/95

Work has commenced on the sealing of Burkett Road in the Exmouth Shire under the State's Additional Funding Program.

Transport Minister Eric Charlton said the $12.6 million project would see the remaining 68 kilometres of road sealed by late 1997.

The Minister said that last year 10 kilometres of Burkett Road were improved and sealed under current funding arrangements and the new work, which begins today, would result in another six kilometres of the road upgraded and sealed.

"This is a strategically important road for the development of the Gascoyne region and these improvements would have been a long time coming, if at all, without the Additional Funding Program," the Minister said.

He said the bulk of the funds for the project ($10.5 million) were coming from the AFP, with the remainder sourced from current funding for Main Roads.

"A fully-sealed Burkett Road will greatly assist the region by providing an improved level of service and safety to road users, including the large numbers of tourists visiting Exmouth and Coral Bay," Mr Charlton said.

"Tourists in future will be spared the inconvenience of backtracking to stay on the bitumen and, together with the recently announced construction of a new boat marina in Exmouth, it will provide a real boost to the region."

Mr Charlton said the approach by Main Roads was to target the worst flood-prone sections of Burkett Road as the priority stretches to be improved and sealed first.

Burkett Road was one of the major 43 projects throughout the State which attracted additional road funding over the 10-year life of the AFP.

The other major AFP projects in the Gascoyne were the widening of the Manilya-Exmouth Road over a distance of 182 kilometres, costing $18.6 million, and the sealing of the Yardie Creek Road over 43 kilometres at a cost of nearly $5 million.

Media contact:  Ian Hasleby 321 7333 / Pager: 480 9999 (94065)