If you’ve ever dreamed of tackling the wild, remote Tanami Road, do it soon. Because one of Australia’s last iconic red dirt outback roads is being slowly but surely sealed, and while that’s great news for freight and community access, it also means the days of bone-rattling corrugations, blinding dust clouds, and that sense of real frontier driving are numbered.
The Red Centre’s Back Road Is Getting a Blacktop
The Tanami Road (or Tanami Track, depending who you ask) stretches for over 1,000km between Alice Springs and Halls Creek, and for decades it’s been a badge of honour for remote tourers. Rough, remote, and rattling, it’s been the real deal. But the WA Government, alongside the Commonwealth, is now deep into a staged project to seal the entire Western Australian section of the road.
Stage 1 saw the first 25km sealed south of the Great Northern Highway, and work on the next 16km is expected to be finished by the end of 2025. From there, they’ll push southward in stages, sealing another 32km past Ruby Plains by the end of 2026, and eventually continuing all the way to the NT border.
What does that mean in plain English? You’ve got five to ten more years before the Tanami Track starts looking more like a long, lonely highway than the red-ribboned adventure route we know today.
Why Seal It?
Let’s be honest, most of us love the wild feel of an unsealed track. But if you live in Balgo, Billiluna or Mulan, it’s not exactly fun being cut off for weeks during the wet season. And if you’re hauling supplies or running a mining operation, it’s even worse.
Some of the big benefits being targeted include:
- All-weather access year-round (no more waiting weeks for graders after the wet)
- Lower freight costs and better supply lines for local communities
- Less damage to vehicles and fewer road closures
- Improved safety, drainage, and emergency response access
So yeah, it makes sense. But we’re still going to miss that rattly, red, bull-dust chaos that made the Tanami a proper outback challenge.
Your Last Chance for the ‘Real’ Tanami
If you’re the type of traveller who likes your adventures raw, now’s the time to pencil it in. The corrugations won’t last forever. As the bitumen creeps south from Halls Creek, the window to experience the full character of the Tanami Road is closing fast.
Right now, a large chunk of the WA side is still raw and red, complete with bulldust holes. It’s also one of the few places in the country where you can drive for hundreds of kilometres without seeing another soul.
The Flip Side: Better Access to Hidden Gems
While sealing the road will tame the experience for some, it’ll also open it up for many. More travellers will get the chance to visit Wolfe Creek Crater, spend time in Aboriginal communities, and explore this rarely-seen stretch of country. Expect to see rest stops, floodways, and improved signage going in over time, too.
And there’s a silver lining for remote communities. This project isn’t just another big-city decision, it’s being rolled out hand-in-hand with the Jaru Traditional Owners and other native title groups. As of 2025, around 50 Aboriginal workers and 18 Aboriginal businesses are directly involved, with millions flowing back into local pockets. It’s being built by the bush, not just through it.
Get In Before the Bulldozers Do
Whether you’re running the full Alice-to-Halls run or just doing a loop through the Kimberley, the Tanami’s worth doing old-school. Drop your tyre pressures, pack an extra jerry or two, and enjoy the last years of one of Australia’s most iconic backroads before the bitumen brigade finishes their job.
Because while sealed roads are great for access, there’s something about a long, red dirt track that just makes a trip feel like a proper adventure.
