Plans revealed for much-needed Royal Darwin Hospital access upgrades

The Northern Territory Government is committed to improving access to Royal Darwin Hospital to help relieve congestion and improve safety in the area. 

The planned road upgrades will also ensure access to the hospital is always maintained for emergency services. 

“Territorians gave us a mandate to reduce crime, rebuild the economy and restore our iconic Territory lifestyle. 

“Appropriate access to RDH is a key driver to improving liveability and these much-needed upgrades will deliver better health outcomes for Territorians while strengthening the resilience of our emergency and hospital services. 

“Territorians deserve better, and these works are proof that we are getting on with the job, and prioritising infrastructure projects that will actually improve the lives of Territorians,” Minister for Logistics and Infrastructure Bill Yan said. 

The upgrades will be delivered in three stages, including: 

• Redesign to the current Rocklands Drive and Florey Avenue intersection: these upgrades will deliver improved traffic management with the proposed design including new dedicated turning lanes and modifications to line marking and signage. Local residents will be engaged in the coming weeks, with a construction tender expected to be released in early 2025. 

• Temporary access of Damabila Drive / Burnett Road for emergency access only: operational plans are in place should this access become impacted by the wet season 

• Second permanent entry to Royal Darwin Hospital: a second permanent entry to the hospital is proposed which will include an extension of Florey Avenue to the Defence Housing Australia development 

These Royal Darwin Hospital access road upgrades are well overdue and are now being prioritised for delivery. 

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom