The Western Australia Government has awarded the tender to design and construct 15 new overtaking lanes on Great Eastern Highway in the Goldfields region.
WBHO Infrastructure Pty Ltd will undertake the project, which will generate about 100 jobs.
Construction of the passing lanes is expected to be completed by March next year, with a further 6.7 kilometres of additional highway overlay and widening works scheduled for completion by late 2017.
State Transport Minister Bill Marmion said in a statement that the new lanes will provide safer passing options and reduce driver frustration along 225 kilometres of the highway.
“There will be eight new eastbound lanes and seven new westbound lanes built between Southern Cross and Kalgoorlie, each with an average length of three kilometres,” he said.
Originally allocated $48 million, the project has come in under budget and will be delivered with $36 million from the Goldfields-Esperance Revitalisation Fund, made possible by the government’s Royalties for Regions program.
Regional Development Minister Terry Redman said Great Eastern Highway played an important role in the regional and national road network.
“This is the primary east-west freight route for Western Australia, the key route for travel between the Goldfields, Perth and the South-West region; forms part of the Perth-Adelaide National Highway; and is the most direct sealed link between Perth and the Eastern States,” Mr. Redman said.
The Great Eastern Highway carries about 1200 vehicles per day between Southern Cross and Kalgoorlie, more than 30 per cent of which are heavy vehicles.
“These upgrades will improve travel time and address safety issues that have contributed to vehicle incidents along this road. Royalties for Regions investment in key infrastructure projects is vital to the economic and social development of our regional communities,” Mr. Redman added.