This section passes through an undulating countryside, mainly dotted with patches of trees, scrub and salt lakes.

Following the Western Australian gold rushes of the 1890s, a track developed between Coolgardie and Esperance, the closest harbour to the goldfields.

[4] Coolgardie–Esperance Highway is generally a two-lane single carriageway road, with a speed limit of 110 kilometres per hour (70 mph), except in and around built up areas.

[8] There are few towns on the highway: Coolgardie, Widgiemooltha, Norseman, Salmon Gums, Grass Patch, Gibson, and Esperance.

Reports commissioned by the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia (RAC) in 2006 and 2008 give the entire highway a three-star safety rating out of five.

However, individual risk based on casualty crash rates per vehicle kilometre travelled was assessed as medium-high.

[13] In 2013, that portion of the highway was assessed as having 7% of its length rated as one-star, 47% as two-star, and 46% as three-star out of five stars.

[17][18] By January 1927, construction had commenced on an eight-mile (13 km) portion north of Salmon Gums, which had been colloquially known as "The Glue Pot".

[27] By August 1933, the whole route was reported to be in reasonable condition, apart from some rough portions between Coolgardie and Widgiemooltha.

[42][43][44] In 1938, attention from local governments in the area focused on providing a sealed road along the highway.

Such work was still to be completed on the Merredin–Southern Cross road, having been discontinued due to war and not yet restarted as bitumen was in short supply.

[53] Dr. D. N. Kirkham of the Dundas Road Board considered that section to be a "disgrace to the country", the poorest quality experience along the interstate route between Sydney and Perth.

[54] The road was gazetted as Coolgardie–Esperance Highway on 16 August 1957,[d][2] but remained unsealed until 1960, when a 3.7 metre wide (single-lane) seal was completed between Coolgardie and Esperance.