Road upgrades to open the Red Centre
- 30 May 2017
The highly anticpated Meerenie Inner Loop road upgrades connecting the West MacDonnell Rangers between Glen Helen and Hermannsburg were opened this week.
The $25.5 million upgrades by the NT Government, which sealed 43km of Larapinta Drive, will provide a safer and more reliable journey for tourists in the region.
Two and four wheel drive vehicles will now have access to the Inner Loop throughout the year. Previously, wet season conditions regularly made the road inaccessible and limited visit access.
Self-drive tours are hugely popular in the Northern Territory with 161,000 people visiting the West MacDonnell Ranges last year alone.
The sealing of the Inner Loop is expected to grow this number even further while providing a boost for local tourism attractions in the region like the Hermannsburg Historic Precinct.
On average over the last three years, the drive market accounts for a total of 373,000 visitors, or 41 per cent of NT holiday visitation.
To find out more about the Inner Loop visit: http://northernterritory.com/things-to-do/self-drive-touring