Planning tender for road linking NT and SA

A project to expand the only sealed road connecting the Northern Territory to South Australia is being put out to tender.

The planning tender is for the section of the Stuart Highway which passes through the area known as The Gap in the picturesque MacDonnell Ranges, improving access to Alice Springs.

The NT government says the road through the narrow Heavitree Gap will need to be duplicated in future years to cater for growing demand from commuters, travellers and freight providers.

This section of the road, which links Alice Springs CBD with the airport and an alternative route to Uluru, has in the past been affected by seasonal heavy rains.

"The Gap is also an iconic part of the Central Australian landscape," the NT Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics said in a statement.

"Proposed infrastructure solutions will be devised to preserve the surrounding beauty and heritage value of the area, as well as respecting the cultural significance of the nearby Todd River."

The public tender for this project, which is fully funded by the NT Labor government, closes on February 13.