The projects funded by the Beef Roads Scheme resulted in a noticeably higher quality road in the Kimberley, but work still progressed on other sections of the highway. In 1970, a single-lane sealed section was completed between Perth and Meekatharra. The project was one of the first in the state to be constructed by contractors rather than by Main Roads directly. It cost $9 million, two-thirds of which was spent after 1959. The next section to be upgraded and sealed was from Meekatharra to Newman, a project that would take four and a half years to construct. Due to the remoteness of the location, airstrips were built alongside the highway, so that workers could be flown in from Geraldton. The highway was realigned in several spots, to avoid difficult areas, improve river crossings, or give drivers a more scenic view of the surrounding area. New bridges were constructed along the route, including a reinforced concrete bridge at the Fortescue River, and a four-span bridge over the Gascoyne River's Middle Branch. By December 1978, the sealed road reached Newman, with the project completed three months ahead of schedule, and at a cost of $20 million, $1 million under budget. With a seal and shoulders, the road could easily accommodate two lanes of traffic. Previously sealed sections, totalling of the highway, were less than half that width. Premier Charles Court opened the new and improved highway on 12 December 1978.