The Midland Highway 10-year Action Plan details $500 million in upgrades and improvements for the North-South connector.

But the plan does not allow for a full duplication of the highway as pledged by state and federal Liberals before their respective elections.

Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said safety was the government’s priority.

He said the next decade would see the highway improved with the installation of flexible safety barriers, the introduction of wider medians, removal of roadside hazards and investment in junction upgrades.

‘‘It is our long-term goal for the Midland Highway to be duplicated along its length, but if we were to wait for those funds [from the Commonwealth] to be available, there would be a huge number of crashes that would occur through inaction and there’s been enough of that,’’ he said.

‘‘So we’re now stepping in to say for the next 10 years we’re going to be focusing on when we’re doing working on either of the two ends it will be four lanes, but when we’re working on the middle that will be the safe-system approach which can be converted to four lanes later.’’

The Midland Highway 10-year Action Plan was launched by federal Assistant Infrastructure Minister Jamie Briggs at Longford yesterday.

‘‘Upgrading the Midland Highway will create and sustain hundreds of jobs, slash travel times for motorists and industry and drive economic growth by improving the safe connectivity between the south and north of Tasmania,’’ Mr Briggs said.

‘‘Our joint investment in the Midland Highway is a key part of our economic action strategy to ensure Tasmania’s primary industries can get their products to market more efficiently and take greater advantage of new global trade opportunities.’’

Works in the next year include Bagdad to Mangalore safety improvements and road widening from Kempton to Melton Mowbray.