WA Govt invests more than $50M into regional road safety

The Western Australian Government will invest more than $50 million into upgrading dangerous roads in through the 2018-19 Black Spot and Safer Roads programs.

The Black Spot Program targets improvements to roads with a proven crash history, funded by $20 million of state and $5 million of local government funding.

It will invest $1.1 million for the Bakers Hill Improvement Project, which will upgrade the section of Great Eastern Highway between Berry Brow Road and Tames Road to improve safety for pedestrians and road users.

Main Roads WA is realigning and widening intersections on York-Merredin Road at Ashton Street and improve the traffic flow around a rail crossing, BP garage and rest area as a result of $1.3 million of funding.

An additional $650,000 will go towards upgrading York-Merredin Road at Totadgin Hall Road.

Other projects include a $91,000 upgrade to Swainstons Road, a $51,000 upgrade at the Bodey Street and Harper Street intersection and a $28,000 upgrade to upgrade Sippe Road/Eujinin North Road.

The WA Government has also invested $28.4 million into the WA Safer Roads Program, which funds 24 regional road safety initiatives and includes a total of $7.6 million in funding for projects in the Wheatbelt region.

This includes $3.5 million for Great Eastern Highway upgrades between Walgoolan and Southern Cross, allowing for a 110 kilometres of shoulder reconditioning and sealing in narrow sections to install audible edge lines.

Around $530,000 has been allocated to upgrade York-Merredin Road by widening and sealing shoulders, rehabilitating the carriageway, improving cross sections and installing line marking with audible edge markers.

A northbound passing plane will also be constructed on the Albany Highway at Marradong road following a $100,000 investment from the project.

These improvements come in addition to the $17.2 million allocated in 2018-19 and 2019-20 through the Road Trauma Trust Account to upgrade the Great Eastern Highway from Walgoolan to Southern Cross.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said the government is committed to improving road safety across regional WA with the state budget delivering more than $2 billion towards regional roads.

“We have a big agenda to make regional roads safer, and road users in the Wheatbelt will benefit from the upgrades funded through the Black Spot and Safer Roads programs,” Mr McGowan said.

“In many cases simple upgrades to problem sections of roads can go a long way, and these upgrades will make a big difference to road safety in the Wheatbelt.”

Agricultural Region MLC Darren West said the sections have been overdue for an upgrade for many years and he is pleased the government has been able to deliver funding to fix many dangerous roads throughout the region.

“This funding will help many communities across the Wheatbelt improve their road safety and especially those where there has been a proven crash history,” Mr West said.