Stanley Highway Upgrade

About the project

The Stanley Highway leads to some of the state’s most iconic tourist destinations, including The Nut and the historic township of Stanley.

We are planning upgrades to the highway that will improve safety and traffic flow and enhance the visitor experience along this popular tourist route.

Timing

Stage 1 of these upgrades focused on section B, with upgrades to Trethewies Lookout completed in summer 2024/2025. Upgrades to the lookout were prioritised based on feedback from key stakeholders, local landowners, and nearby residents. This upgrade is the first stage of the Stanley Highway Upgrade project.

The next stage of Stanley Highway upgrades includes the 100 km/h section of road outside the township of Stanley – noted in blue on the map below.

We are currently finalising cost estimates and design for these upgrades. We expect to be able to provide an update to the community on the next stage of work in November this year.

Tenders are expected to be advertised early next year, with construction in mid-2026, subject to final approvals and contractor availability.

Maps

This map below shows the section of the Stanley Highway we will upgrade.

This map below shows the Upgrades to Trethewies Lookout.

Community consultation 2023

In October 2023 we spoke with landowners near the highway, residents, and other key stakeholders, including Circular Head Council and the Stanley Chamber of Commerce, to get their feedback on a concept design for two sections of the highway:

• Section A: The northern section of the Stanley Highway, which starts at Dovecote Road and continues past the residential area for around 500 metres
• Section B: The southern section of the Stanley Highway, starting at the Bass Highway intersection, which includes the approach to Stanley and passes Trethewie’s Lookout.

We learned that Section B is the overwhelming priority, and the community supports increasing the scope of the project to include safety improvements at Trethewie’s Lookout.

Based on our discussions with the community, and the increased costs to Section B due to the requested safety improvements at the lookout, it may be necessary to shorten the length of highway to be upgraded to meet the priorities of the community and our budget requirements.

We are currently finalising cost estimates and design for these upgrades.

Funding

This project has funding of $10 million from the Tasmanian Government, as part of its North West and West Coast Infrastructure Program.

Accessibility

If you would like to find out more information and you have accessibility requirements, please contact the project engagement consultant (details below).

You can find out more about Transport Services' commitment to accessibility on our website here: https://www.transport.tas.gov.au/accessibility

Contact

If you have any questions regarding these works, please contact the project team at stanleyhighwayupgrade@stategrowth.tas.gov.au or Stakeholder Engagement Consultant Sarah Sutton 0418 828 896.