Joint media statement - More than $250 million of regional road upgrades rolling out across Western Australia

More than $250 million of road safety upgrades will be rolled out across approximately 4,000 kilometres of regional Western Australian roads this financial year, reducing the risk of run-off-road crashes and supporting local jobs.

More than $250 million of road safety upgrades will be rolled out across approximately 4,000 kilometres of regional Western Australian roads this financial year, reducing the risk of run-off-road crashes and supporting local jobs.

Funded through the Regional Road Safety Program, low cost treatments such as sealing existing unsealed road shoulders and installing audible edge or centre lines to warn drivers who veer over the white line, will be delivered across the State.

The Regional Road Safety Program is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Western Australian Governments, with an initial $100 million of works underway already, and another $158 million allocated to be spent by the end of this financial year.  

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the Australian Government had allocated billions of dollars to road improvements across regional Australia.

"We committed $500 million for targeted road safety upgrades across Australia as part of our infrastructure stimulus package in June, as well as an additional $2 billion for the Road Safety Program in the 2020-21 Budget," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

"This funding will be rolled out on a 'use it or lose it basis', which means the delivery of life-saving upgrades to regional roads across Western Australia is on the horizon.

"This is also about supporting local jobs and providing a welcome boost to local economies at the same time - we are backing our regions to drive the nation's economic recovery."

The Australian Government's funding for the Road Safety Program is subject to 'use it or lose it' provisions and will deliver life-saving treatments to regional roads across Western Australia, while also supporting local jobs and providing a welcome boost to local economies.

The 'use it or lose it' provisions require States and Territories to use their notionally allocated funds within a timeframe, or the funds can be reallocated to projects in other jurisdictions.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said the program would roll out more potential lifesaving treatments on up to 7,000 kilometres of roads across regional Western Australia.

"As the economy rebuilds we have more people getting back to business and work, as well as people choosing to 'Wander out Yonder' in our beautiful State, it's important we make sure our roads are as safe as possible for all users," Premier McGowan said.

"This tranche of funding will provide much needed upgrades to key roads all across our State from the Kimberley to the Great Southern, supporting local jobs and providing a much-needed economic boost to the regions."

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said regional roads were vital to the economy-shaping work of the State's freight fleet.

"From Western Australia's world-class wool to the thriving iron-ore exports, local truckies work hard travelling the regional road network to keep the economy ticking along and businesses running by getting goods to markets," Assistant Minister Buchholz said.

"By funding road safety programs like this, we are continuing to support the economy-shaping work while ensuring they make it home safe at the end of each trip - nothing is more important than that."

Western Australian Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said work on the 34 projects funded by the $100 million were already underway with another 62 projects, worth $158 million to get off the ground.

"We have worked hard to secure this money and by the end of the financial year low cost treatments such as shoulder widening and the installation of audible edge lines will be rolled out across 4,000 kilometres of rural roads," Ms Saffioti said.

"This jointly funded program will make a huge difference to our regional roads, providing potentially lifesaving treatments such as shoulder widening and the installation of audible edge lines."

Federal Member for Canning Andrew Hastie, who was on site today, said funding provided through the Program delivers cost-efficient improvements that make travelling safer for locals and tourists in regional Western Australia.

"The Canning electorate will benefit from over $21 million in Program funding for a range of works, improving regional roads throughout Murray-Wellington, Darling Range and Mandurah," Mr Hastie said.

Key projects funded through this tranche include more than $8 million for upgrades to Great Northern Highway, more than $7 million for North West Coastal Highway and more than $5 million for upgrades to Albany Highway in Wagin.

The $455 million commitment to improve road safety across the State is jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian Governments.

Premier's office - 6552 5000

Transport Minister's office - 6552 5500

Regional Road Safety Program - Proposed Works in 2020-21

 Road Name/ CorridorLength     (Km)Treatments To Be Applied
Mass action treatments and/or targeted location treatments
RegionJuly 2020 allocation ($100 million)   January 2021 allocation ($158 million)
1Albany Highway (Cranbrook to Mount Barker)39.0Sealing  shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesGreat Southern 4,440,150
2Albany Highway (end of dual carriageway to Gleneagles) 15.6Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesMetro1,435,200 
3Albany Highway (Gleneagles to Williams)105.7Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesWheatbelt8,456,000 
4Albany Highway (Kojonup Airport to Kojonup Town) 7.6Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesGreat Southern590,460 
5Albany Highway (Mount Barker to Albany)43.7Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesGreat Southern4,020,400 
6Albany Highway (Williams to Arthur River)38.0Sealing shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesWheatbelt 5,169,093
7Bannister Marradong Rd (Albany Highway to Boddington)4.0Seal shoulders on widened formation and install audible edge linesSouth West 2,796,200
8Bindoon Moora Rd (Boxhall Road to Purser Road)25.5Seal shoulders on existing formation, enabling works required (drainage), install audible edge linesWheatbelt 2,903,175
9Boyanup Picton Road (Boyanup to Dardanup) 9.3Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesSouth West601,900 
10Brand Highway (Cooljarloo to Badgingarra) 31.8Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesMid West - Gascoyne3,180,000 
11Brockman Highway (Wright Road to Stewart Road)26.2Seal shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesSouth West 2,216,599
12Brookton Highway (Canning Road to Regional Boundary) 25.5Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesMetro2,347,200 
13Brookton Highway (Regional Boundary to Brookton) 72.3Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesWheatbelt5,476,800 
14Brookton Highway (Karlgarin Nature Reserve)4.8Seal shoulders on widened formation and install audible edge linesWheatbelt 1,866,480
15Brookton Highway (Kondinin to Carlson Road)9.4Seal shoulders on widened formation and install audible edge linesWheatbelt 1,796,036
16Burkett Road (North West Coastal Hwy to Minilya Exmouth Road) 78.5Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesMid West - Gascoyne 4,700,000 
17Calingiri-Wongan Hills Road (Wilding Rd to Cemetary Rd)38.0Seal shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesWheatbelt 3,072,300
18Chester Pass Road (South Coast Highway to Stirling Ranges National Park)5.8Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesGreat Southern467,200 
19Chidlow-York Road (east of St Ronans)2.3Road realignment and overlay, sealing of shoulders and install audible edge linesWheatbelt 5,500,000
20Coalfields Highway (Gibbs Siding Road to Clarke Road)26.8Install audible edge linesWheatbelt 265,320
21Coalfields Highway (Roelands to Worsley)11.7Install audible edge lines South West461,000 
22Collie-Preston Road (Collie to South of Horrocks Road)6.8Install audible edge linesSouth West 77,732
23Collie-Preston Road (Collie to South of Horrocks Road) 6.8Widen sealed shoulders to current formationSouth West393,240 
24Collie-Preston Road (Horrocks Road to Mumballup)13.7Install audible edge linesSouth West 158,466
25Coolgardie-Esperance Highway - Emu Rocks4.2Safety improvements involving road realignment, shoulder sealing, and install audible edge and centre linesGoldfields Esperance 10,010,000
26Eyre Highway (Caiguna to SA Border)351.0Install audible edge linesGoldfields Esperance 3,088,800
27Eyre Highway (Norseman to SA Border)721.0Install audible centre linesGoldfields Esperance 2,071,889
28Great Eastern Highway (Coolgardie to West of Mungari Road)15.0Seal shoulders on existing formation, enabling works required (drainage) and install audible edge linesGoldfields Esperance 4,237,750
29Great Eastern Highway (Cunderdin to Tammin)24.1Seal shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesWheatbelt 1,948,485
30Great Eastern Highway (East of Bodallin Road to West of Liddell Road13.6Seal shoulders on widened formation, including overlay and install audible edge linesWheatbelt 6,018,606
31Great Eastern Highway (Ghooli to Boorabbin Rest Area) 49.4Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesGoldfields - Esperance4,185,000 
32Great Eastern Highway (Kellerberrin to Walgoorlan) 90.3Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesWheatbelt5,869,500 
33Great Eastern Highway (Northam Bypass)11.7Seal shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesWheatbelt 945,945
34Great Eastern Highway (Tammin to Kellerberrin)21.7Seal shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesWheatbelt 1,754,445
35Great Northern Highway (Ashburton Downs Meekatharra Road to Kumarina)75.0Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesMid West - Gascoyne 7,803,120 
36Great Northern Highway (Broome Turnoff to Derby Turnoff)146.0Install audible edge lines Kimberley 990,000
37Great Northern Highway (Derby Turnoff to North of Camballin Road)35.0Install audible edge lines Kimberley 346,104
38Great Northern Highway (Halls Creek to Ord River Crossing) 37.8Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesKimberley2,352,000 
39Great Northern Highway (Near Lagrange Turnoff)39.0Seal shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesKimberley 3,953,442
40Great Northern Highway (Near Leopold Downs Road)10.9Install audible edge lines Kimberley 113,905
41Great Northern Highway (near Mt Robinson Rest Area and Karijini Drive Turnoff)43.3Seal shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesPilbara 6,668,200
42Great Northern Highway (Newman to Hope Downs 4 Mine Site Turnoff)33.5Seal shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesPilbara 5,159,000
43Great Northern Highway (Newman to Mount Robinson Rest Area)  71.9Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesPilbara8,628,000 
44Great Northern Highway (North of Goldwyns Camp Access to Roebuck) 61.0Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesKimberley6,097,000 
45Great Northern Highway (North of Halls Creek) 42.8Install audible edge lines Kimberley 251,707
46Great Northern Highway (Paynes Find to Oudabunna Station)26.7Seal shoulders on existing formation, enabling works required (drainage) and install audible edge lines
lines
Mid West Gascoyne 6,004,767
47Great Northern Highway (South Camballin Road to Erskine Range) 29.8Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesKimberley3,480,000 
48Great Northern Highway (South of Broome Turnoff)9.2Install audible edge lines Kimberley 90,585
49Great Northern Highway (South of Fitzroy Crossing to Halls Creek)278.0Install audible edge lines Kimberley 2,752,200
50Great Northern Highway (South of Ord River)20.4Install audible edge lines Kimberley 119,855
51Great Southern Highway (Narrogin to Wagin)46.7Install audible edge lines Wheatbelt 462,528
52Great Southern Highway (York to Gwambygine)9.3Seal shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesWheatbelt 1,058,805
53Greenlands Road5.6Install audible edge lines South West 215,600
54Indian Ocean Drive (Cervantes to Jurien Bay)  22.0Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesMid West - Gascoyne 1,758,400 
55Indian Ocean Drive (Lancelin to Nilgen) 9.1Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesMid West - Gascoyne728,800 
56Indian Ocean Drive (Nilgen to Cervantes)67.6Install audible edge lines Mid West Gascoyne 371,965
57Indian Ocean Drive (Yanchep National Park to Log Road)8.9Seal shoulders on widened formation and install audible edge linesMid West Gascoyne 2,200,000
58Laverton-Leonora Rd (East of Leonora)9.9Seal shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesGoldfields Esperance 907,478
59Mandurah Road (Lakelands to Mandjoogoordap Drive)7.8Asphalt Low Cost Shoulder SealingSouth West 2,061,840
60Minilya Exmouth Road (North of Coral Bay to South of Ningaloo Station Turnoff)23.0Seal shoulders on widened formation and install audible edge linesMid West Gascoyne 7,678,550
61Muir Highway (Denmark-Mount Barker Road to Mount Barker)12.3Seal shoulders on existing formation and install audible edge linesGreat Southern 872,201
62North West Coastal Hwy (North of Wooramel Roadhouse)18.3Seal shoulders on existing formation, enabling works required (drainage) and install audible edge linesMid West Gascoyne 7,104,289
63Northam Cranbrook Road (Broomehill-Jerramungup Road to Tambellup)24.9Widen sealed shoulders to current formation and install audible edge linesGreat Southern2,748,000 
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