A final seal has been applied to Silverton Road, concluding the $5 million project to upgrade the road between Broken Hill and the historic town of Silverton in the New South Wales far west.
The upgrade started in 2021 and involved work to widen and seal the 18-kilometre section and install new signs and guideposts.
Transport for NSW broadened the initial scope of work, which started in early 2021, to widen the road by two metres on each side and upgrade 25 large drains to match the width of the sealed road.
Applying the final seal follows two years of inclement weather which created additional challenges in sourcing materials and labour.
The project has supported 15 full-time jobs as well as workers from local suppliers such as the quarry at Broken Hill and more than 40,000 tonnes of locally sourced aggregate have been used to build the upgraded road.
The Silverton Road upgrade was jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments, with $1.6 million provided in Commonwealth funding through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program, and $3.4 million provided by the NSW Government.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, and Member for Eden-Monaro, the Hon Kristy McBain MP:
"This project is another example of how the LRCI Program supports all Australian councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects in their region, creating jobs and long-lasting benefits for communities.
'This upgrade will be welcomed by the local community who rely on Silverton Road to accommodate light and heavy vehicle traffic each day.
"This project will improve road safety and amenity for all road users, as well as better connect the community of Broken Hill and support tourism to Silverton."
Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison:
"The completion of this project is a credit to our dedicated project team delivering safer, smoother and more efficient journeys for all who travel along this section of road in the NSW outback."
"Visitors and locals alike deserve this long-awaited improvement to the popular tourist and recreation route linking the city of Broken Hill to historic Silverton, where 45 movies have been filmed including Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and Mad Max 2.
"This road will benefit the thousands of people each year who travel from across the country to attend events such as the Mundi Mundi Bash about 35 kilometres west of Broken Hill."
