Completion of Ranford Road duplication to become a reality

The last single lane section of Ranford Road - between Tonkin Highway and Armadale Road - will finally become dual lane with the Liberal-National Government allocating $2.7million towards the $5.7million project.

Ranford Road is currently dual carriageway from Bannister Road, Canning Vale to Tonkin Highway, Forrestdale.

In 2010-11, the State Government has allocated more than $1.2billion for building and maintaining Western Australia's 180,000km of roads.

When visiting the Ranford Road area today, Transport Minister Simon O'Brien said the City of Armadale had been working solidly in recent years to upgrade sections of this important local government road under its control.

"The $2.7million commitment will go towards the City of Armadale's contribution to dualling the single lane section remaining between Tonkin Highway and Armadale Road in Seville Grove," Mr O'Brien said.

"The Armadale Redevelopment Authority will contribute the balance of the funding.

"In addition to the $2.7million in extra funding to duplicate the last section, I am also presenting the City of Armadale with a cheque for a further $1.675million to cover additional costs it has already incurred during previous upgrade works on Ranford Road west of Tonkin Highway."

Darling Range MLA Tony Simpson welcomed the funding boost and said the State Government was fulfilling a 2008 State election promise to upgrade Ranford Road.

"The current and future development east of Tonkin Highway will generate a significant increase in traffic, justifying the need to duplicate the last single lane section," Mr Simpson said.

"This is the last link in the chain, meaning there will be a safe and efficient route linking the ever-expanding south eastern suburbs to the freeway and further west to the coast."

The Minister said the State Government was providing $220million across the next four years in targeted works through the Safer Roads and State Black Spot programs to ensure the State's road network received appropriate upgrades.

"Increased funding of $136million - up from $123million in 2009-10 -  is also being provided to local governments in 2010-11 to assist them to undertake important construction and maintenance works on roads under their control," he said.