MINERAL Resources has completed the upgrade to its Onslow Iron private haul road in Western Australia that has seen at least eight truck rollovers.
Blame for the cause of needed $230 million road upgrade, which was opened in 2024, was placed on questionable workmanship, with early reports pointing to subpar construction quality, particularly in the spray seal and binder layers, which failed under heavy use, along with the Pilbara region’s high temperatures and flooding weakening the pavement structure.
The road, part-owned by Morgan Stanley, is used to haul 330-tonne iron ore loads, which place immense stress on the surface—especially during peak operations.
The safety incidents prompted WorkSafe WA to impose speed restrictions and demand safety reviews.
The nearly 150 kilometre stretch of road from Ken’s Bore mine to the Port of Ashburton roadworks included seal binder upgrades and cement stabilisation to enhance pavement strength and moisture resistance, as well as asphalting along the entire length of the sealed road.
Minor ancillary works off the road continue and are scheduled for completion next month, but normal speed limits are now back in place.
Notwithstanding the roadworks, the project shipped a record 3.2 million tonnes of ore in August 2025.
The width of the upgraded private haul road spans 11 sealed metres from edge to edge, two metres wider than typical public roads used for heavy haulage in the Pilbara region.
In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange Mineral Resources managing director Chris Ellison said Onslow Iron has continued to perform very strongly even during the upgrade of the private haul road.
“The resumption of unconstrained haulage marks another significant milestone as we focus on safely delivering the project’s FY26 volume guidance,” Mr Ellison said.
“Onslow Iron is now established as a cash generative, low-cost asset that underpins the deleveraging of our balance sheet while driving stable, long-term growth.”