There aren’t many long-distance outback routes left where the journey itself is still part of the adventure, but the Outback Way is one of them. Stretching 2,719 kilometres from Laverton in Western Australia to Winton in Queensland, it cuts through some of the most remote country in the nation.
Around 1,000 kilometres remains unsealed, but that number is shrinking. More than $1.2 billion in state and federal funding has been committed to sealing the entire route by 2032, while delayed work on the Western Australian section appears to be edging closer to restarting as land access, heritage and environmental approvals progress.
For remote communities and freight operators, there are obvious benefits. For 4X4ers, however, it also means another proper outback road is slowly disappearing.
Australia’s longest shortcut
The Outback Way has long been known as “Australia’s longest shortcut”, linking WA and Queensland across the middle of the country. In reality, it has traditionally been the sort of trip that requires proper preparation, sensible fuel planning, decent tyres and a willingness to deal with long stretches of gravel and corrugations.
That is part of the appeal. The WA section follows around 736 kilometres of the Great Central Road between Laverton and the Northern Territory border, with services few and far between. Work there has effectively stalled for around four years while negotiations and approvals have continued.
Those delays now appear to be nearing an end. Assessments have been completed for a further 171-kilometre section, involving around 660 hectares of native vegetation, with no significant impacts to threatened flora or fauna identified.
If construction restarts as expected, every new section of bitumen brings the Outback Way closer to becoming easier, faster and a little less remote.
We’re running out of roads like this
There is a familiar pattern with Australian touring routes. A road becomes famous because it is remote and challenging, which attracts travellers looking for exactly that experience. Traffic increases, upgrades follow and eventually the route that became popular because of its character ends up sealed.
Nobody is arguing that remote communities should miss out on safer and more reliable access just so the rest of us can enjoy a rougher holiday. Better roads can improve access to healthcare, education, employment and basic supplies, and those benefits matter.
But once these roads are sealed, they don’t come back. The pace changes, the challenge reduces and the sense of isolation fades. Over time, more traffic and more infrastructure can turn what was once a genuine remote touring route into something much closer to an ordinary highway run.
Traffic could increase by 300 per cent
The expected traffic increase gives some idea of just how much the Outback Way could change. The Great Central Road currently carries around 30 to 60 vehicles per day, but once the route is fully sealed, traffic is forecast to increase by around 300 per cent over the following decade, including a significant rise in heavy vehicle movements.
That will likely bring better fuel availability, roadside facilities, communications and emergency coverage, but it will also fundamentally change the travelling experience. A road carrying several times as much traffic, including more trucks, caravans and two-wheel-drive vehicles, simply will not feel as remote.
A social impact assessment has also raised concerns about whether infrastructure along the route can handle the increase in travellers, as well as how culturally significant areas will be protected once sections become public road.
Progress, but at a cost
For plenty of 4X4ers, the difficult part of the trip is the point. Managing fuel, tyre pressures, changing road conditions and long distances between services is what separates remote touring from simply driving somewhere.
Once that disappears, the character of the journey changes with it.
The good news is the Outback Way is not turning into a highway overnight. Around 1,000 kilometres remains unsealed and the current completion target is still 2032, leaving time for anyone who wants to experience it while there is still red dirt beneath the tyres.
If the Outback Way is on your bucket list, though, it might be worth moving it a little higher. Another iconic dirt road is slowly disappearing, and once the bitumen goes down, there is no going back.
