Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Pacific Highway fully dual by 2016

THE Pacific Highway will be dual carriageway from start to finish by 2016 under a plan to be unveiled today by the Federal Government.

The highway, which stretches north from Sydney to Brisbane, has long been considered one of the country's most hazardous roads, with 25 people killed on it in 2006.

The commonwealth wants state governments to match its pledge of $2.4 billion to eliminate narrow and dangerous stretches of the highway, News Ltd and Fairfax newspapers report.

Regardless of state funding, the Federal Government will start work on stretches of the highway between Sydney and Woolgoolga, south of Coffs Harbour, and south from Brisbane to Ballina.

Prime Minister John Howard is expected to make the funding announcement at Grafton today.

The funding is expected to come during the 2009-2010 and 2013-2014 financial years.

The Government announced $22 billion for a national road building program in May's budget and at the time the Australian Automobile Association called for $25 billion to improve safety at major blackspots including the Pacific Highway.

No comments: