State to add $6 million to $30 million total under safety and productivity program
Western Australia is to get a multi-million dollar investment in heavy vehicle infrastructure with the focus on safety.
The state government will contribute more than $6 million towards improving roads, rest stops and road train assembly areas across Western Australia to improve safety for heavy vehicles.
“Local, state and federal governments have worked together to create a funding pool of $30 million to go towards 15 projects aimed at making WA roads safer for trucks,” it says.
The 15 projects include road widening and realignments, construction of road train and truck parking and rest areas, and intersection upgrades.
“The projects involve increasing the capacity of existing roads and improving connections to the nation’s key freight routes,” WA says.
“When completed, these projects will allow heavy vehicle operators to travel across the country in a safer, quicker and more productive way.”
Read about WA government involvement in the OSOM permits probe, here
As part of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program, the projects have been backed with more than $13.7 million in Federal Government, $6.2 million in state government and $11 million in local government funding.
Industry body Western Roads Federation (WRF) praised the effort of all involved, including Livestock and Rural Transport Association of WA, TransafeWA, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and WA transport minister Rita Saffioti in bolstering its own efforts.
It is also looking into a strategic approach to rest areas, combining them as much as possible to existing roadhouses to share the load of upkeep and attention, CEO Cam Dumesny tells ATN.
The state government says present joint funding highlights include:
- $3.3 million to build a road-train assembly area at the North West Coastal Highway and Madigan Road intersection in Karratha
- $2.8 million to widen and upgrade several key intersections on the Gascoyne Key Route in the Shire of Upper Gascoyne
- $2.2 million to upgrade the intersection of Pippingarra Road and the Great Northern Highway at Newman
- $1 million to widen and strengthen 18.79km of road and build a 40 metre concrete floodway on Baandee North Road near North Baandee.
“Western Australia is a vast state with significant heavy vehicle road traffic, particularly throughout regional areas, which may not have the infrastructure to support this level of freight,” Saffioti says.
“This funding will be used to upgrade existing rest stops, build new rest stops and construct new layover bays, providing drivers with more opportunities to take a break or reconfigure their trailers and for large loads to park up to allow other traffic to pass.
“As well as being incredibly beneficial to heavy vehicle drivers, these projects will ensure we continue to improve safety outcomes for all road users.
“This funding will help make sure more drivers – whether of heavy or standard vehicles – make it home safe every day.”
Saffioti was this week in Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie to inspect forward works for the Great Eastern Highway upgrade between Gatacre and Anzac Drive.
“Also pleased to announce that following completion of this project we’ll be widening road shoulders on Great Eastern Highway between Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie,” she says on facebook.
“This is one of 19 safety projects being funded through this year’s $25m Regional Run-off Roads program.”
To plot the location of existing WA truck bays and parking bays, click here.