Asbestos remediation to delay Stage 3 Karratha-Tom Price Road construction

• Plan being developed to safely manage the contamination
• Alternative tendering option will minimise total project delays
• Experts engaged to review contamination and recommend a safe solution

The start of construction on the $50 million Stage 3 upgrade of Karratha-Tom Price Road will be delayed following the discovery of extensive fibrous blue asbestos along the project alignment.

Main Roads Western Australia has been informed localised deposits of asbestos are present along the full 48-kilometre road alignment by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.

The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage initially raised the issue of asbestos with Main Roads in May, however, the full extent of the contamination was not realised by the project team.

Main Roads initially understood the matter could be addressed through normal hazard mitigation measures used on other road projects where asbestos contamination is present.

Consultancy firm GHD, which did some preliminary work on asbestos contamination for the Shire of Ashburton, has been engaged by Main Roads to review the extent of the problem. This will include identifying the precise locations of asbestos contamination and recommending a solution for its safe removal and management.

The earliest expected timing for an approved clean-up plan is late December, forcing a delay in delivering the project.

Main Roads has reassessed its contract plan to keep delays to a minimum. Originally, it was intended to build Stage 3 under two separate contracts to enable work on one section over 30 of the 48-kilometre alignment.

Main Roads is now looking to award a single contract for the entire project (Stage 3A and 3B) to minimise delays.

Comments attributed to Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:

"Historically, the contaminated sections of the Karratha-Tom Price Road formed part of the Wittenoom to Roebourne road transport route for the former blue asbestos mining activities in Wittenoom.

"The Karratha-Tom Price Road upgrade is a major pre-election commitment by the McGowan Labor Government.

"While it is unfortunate and disappointing that this contamination discovery will delay the project, I am confident the contamination will be removed without putting public safety or the safety of road workers at risk.

"If we persist with the award of two separate contracts, the delay to the project will be in the order of six months. By combining the two tranches of work into one, the delay in delivering the project once the clean-up takes place will be reduced to about two months.

"Under the new plan, Main Roads expects to award a single contract by April 2019 with works to be completed around September 2019, instead of July as originally envisaged."

Minister's office - 6552 5500