 Work to seal Eyre Highway was undertaken in the 1960s and 1970s . As the federal government refused requests from Western Australia and South Australia for a special allocation to fund the sealed road , the work was left for the states to finance , over a number of years . Construction began in 1960 , at the Norseman end . By the end of that year five miles ( 8 @.@ 0 km ) had been reconstructed , and was ready to be sealed over a 20 @-@ foot ( 6 @.@ 1 m ) width . Fourteen miles ( 23 km ) were sealed in 1961 , another 67 miles ( 108 km ) were completed by 1963 , and in 1964 the seal reached 111 miles ( 179 km ) out from Norseman . By the mid @-@ 1960s , approximately 60 miles ( 100 km ) were being sealed each year . With increased priority given to the project from 1966 , Western Australia 's portion of the highway was completed in 1969 , with a ceremony held in Eucla on 17 October . 
