Work on Dawesville Deviation to commence in July 2000

28/10/99
Transport Minister Murray Criddle today unveiled details of the future Dawesville Deviation to be constructed from the existing dual carriageway at Port Bouvard Bridge, south of the Dawesville Channel, to Tim's Thicket Road.
Mr Criddle said the project, scheduled to start in July 2000, would provide a strategic link to the South-West, and support residential and economic development in the Mandurah Peninsula.
"The Dawesville Deviation will reduce congestion currently experienced on Old Coast Road and will better cater for future traffic volumes that are predicted to increase at a rate of around seven per cent," he said.
"The new highway will increase traffic efficiency, level of service and safety for motorists travelling through Dawesville, and will improve access for the residential developments such as Florida and Melros that are progressing in the area."
The Dawesville Deviation will be constructed as a dual carriageway with two lanes in each direction and will serve as the main arterial route through the area.
The deviation will provide two pedestrian underpasses to improve safety and access for pedestrians and cyclists.
A proposal for side road connections to the new highway has been developed by Main Roads and is currently being considered by the City of Mandurah and property developers. This proposal has been developed with the view of minimising the number of connections to the highway to reduce the potential for vehicle conflict and enhance traffic efficiency and safety.
Western connections are proposed at a realigned Ocean Road and at the existing Dawesville Road West until subdivisional activity realigns Dawesville Road West further to the north.
Eastern connections are proposed at the northern and southern tie-ins with the existing alignment and at a realigned Dawesville Road East. Iluka Road will be closed; however, an additional eastern connection will be provided when subdivision occurs.
Work on the project is expected to be complete in July 2001.
"The appropriateness of the deviation alignment, first selected in the 1970s, was confirmed in 1993 following evaluation and community consultation of two route options between the Dawesville Channel and Tim's Thicket Road,"
Mr Criddle said.
"This evaluation considered the economic, environmental, social and engineering factors of constructing a 4.3km deviation compared with a dual carriageway on the existing Perth/Bunbury Highway alignment.
"The deviation offers a number of benefits over the duplication including the ability to improve design standards and minimise the disruption on local residents and road users during construction."
Other factors that made the deviation the more favourable option included the fewer number of intersections and the ability to choose and design intersection sites to safely accommodate vehicles towing boats and caravans.
Community consultation conducted in 1993 showed that the deviation was the preferred option with around twice the number of landowners supporting the deviation over the duplication.
Media contact: Doug Cunningham (08) 9321 7333.