Tablelands Highway is a remote sealed road
Tablelands Highway, also known as State Route 11, is a very remote drive in the Northern Territory of Australia. There are no towns or services along its length.
When was the Tablelands Highway built?
It was initially constructed in the 1960s as a 'Beef Road' to facilitate the movement of cattle by road train.
Is the Tablelands Highway paved?
The road is bitumen all the way but in some places, the bitumen is in poor condition and the bitumen strip is single vehicle width, but traffic is sparse. The road is quite undulating, but is fine for a road caravan.
How long is Tablelands Highway?
The road is a 375 km (233 mi) single-lane sealed road running from Barkly Homestead (Barkly Highway) to Cape Crawford (Carpentaria Highway).
Is Tablelands Highway open?
This road is generally passable year-round, however, if there has been rain, beware of wash-outs on the shoulders.
How challenging is the Tablelands Highway?
Due to its unique location and passing through remote areas, it is important when driving in these conditions to be prepared. The only cautions are - if a vehicle is coming the other way, particularly a road train, slow right down and get completely off the road. You don't want to be traveling at any speed with one side on bitumen and one side on the shoulder. Also, if there has been any rain, beware of washouts on the shoulders. A final caution is to watch out for cattle. This remote stretch of single-lane bitumen is unfenced and there are often a lot of cattle on and near the road.