Port Keats Road upgrade tender released for $90 million

A tender has been released for a $90 million upgrade to a 46.4-kilometre section of Port Keats Road in the Northern Territory’s West Daly region. The project aims to improve flood resilience, road safety, and accessibility for remote communities including Wadeye, Peppimenarti, and Nganmarriyanga.

The Australian government is contributing $72 million, while the Northern Territory government is providing $18 million. The works will involve sealing and widening the road between Palumpa and Wadeye, and will include the construction of 11 causeways containing 13 major culverts, alongside drainage and protection works at 24 other locations.

Port Keats Road is currently a largely unsealed 181-kilometre stretch that frequently faces closures or weight restrictions due to wet season flooding. Such closures can last for nearly a third of the year. Construction is scheduled to begin in May 2027 and is expected to continue until October 2030, with no works planned during the wet season.