Michael Ferguson,Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Gavin Pearce,Federal Liberal Member for Braddon
The State and Federal Liberal Governments are working together to deliver better and safer roads across the State.
Community consultation has now opened on our latest corridor study (Bass Highway between Launceston and Devonport). We do this so that our investment priorities are worked through between our transport experts, the local community and truckies.
The Bass Highway Corridor Strategy – Launceston to Devonport is part of the $280 million Bass Highway 10 Year Action Plan between Launceston and Marrawah, which is jointly funded by the Australian and Tasmanian Governments.
The Bass Highway is a key corridor linking major population centres, transport hubs and agricultural areas, and provides access to tourist destinations in the north and west of Tasmania.
The Launceston – Devonport Strategy will identify potential improvements on this section of the highway that will improve safety for all road users, the efficiency of our freight network and support economic growth.
We are seeking to identify priorities on the Bass Highway between the two existing dual carriageway sections (two lanes in each direction) at Hadspen on the outskirts of greater Launceston, and Devonport. Safety upgrades between Deloraine and Latrobe will be a key priority.
The community is invited to provide feedback, including issues they have experienced, and how they use this stretch of highway.
Federal Liberal Braddon MP, Gavin Pearce, welcomed the progression of the project. "Improving this section of the road is a commitment I made to the electorate."
"This section of the Bass Highway is one of our busiest freight routes, plus it's how most travellers get into and out of our region. It does require targeted upgrades to make it safer for all road users so I'm pleased to see it progress to the next stage," Mr Pearce said.
Consultation is open from Monday, 12 July to Saturday, 14 August 2021, with feedback forms available at the Meander Valley and Latrobe councils' offices. The community can also have their say through an online, interactive map which can be accessed from the Transport website, transport.tas.gov.au/basshighwaylauncestontodevonport
The final strategy and implementation plan are expected to be released in late 2021 with the first projects to be implemented in 2022.
