St Marys Pass fix could cost $50 million to $2.7 billion
A report assessed seven options for the critical Tasmanian road, ranging from $50 million to $2.7 billion.
St Marys Pass winds through 6 kilometres of bushland connecting Tasmania's east coast to Hobart and Launceston. Built almost 200 years ago by convicts, the narrow road no longer safely handles modern traffic.
St Marys Pass closed for three months in 2022 after a major landslip, halting emergency services and goods delivery during tourism peak season. A new report assessed seven options to fix the problem.
Costs range from $50 million to upgrade the existing route over ten years, right through to $2.7 billion for a complete rebuild. The 'blue route' offering a new alignment north of the current road costs $1 billion and won the most community support.
But the 'purple route' maintaining and upgrading the existing road at $50 to $70 million received the strongest recommendation from officials, balancing cost, community support and deliverability. The federal government has committed $10 million to planning so far.
- 6 kilometres
- Road length
- $50 million to $2.7 billion
- Cost range
- 3 months
- 2022 closure
- $10 million
- Federal planning funding
Why it mattersRepeated closures strand emergency services, block essential goods and cut off tourism revenue; a permanent fix would end years of costly patch-up work.
AustraliaTasmanians depend on this road to connect regional towns to major cities; the upgrade decision will shape state infrastructure spending and tourism access for years.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 1 h ago
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