Upgrades in WA route will bring road trains 220km closer to Perth
Three sections of the Western Australian Muchea to Wubin corridor are set to be upgraded with funding being approved by both federal and state governments.
The 37.6km stretch of road will receive a $131.68 million revamp under the project which forms part of a bigger $344.75 million strategy to improve the freight movement north of Perth.
The latest upgrades will take place around Muchea North, Pithara and Miling, according to WA transport minister Rita Saffioti, and include widening and new overtaking lanes, as well as bypasses and other realignments.
“Together, these upgrades will improve traffic safety and efficiency for our freight operators by better separating cars and trucks, and upgrading the highway to current design standards,” Saffioti says.
Described as a major priority for WA infrastructure, federal transport and infrastructure minister Darren Chester says the upgrade will keep “economically crucial regional areas connected to Perth by enabling safer, more efficient passage of road trains.”
The passage of road trains is key, the federal member for Durack Melissa Price says, with road trains being able to travel almost 220km closer to Perth – decoupling would take place at Muchea – once all upgrades are complete.
“Completing the corridor strategy will deliver a high-standard freight route from just north of Wubin to Muchea, where a new road train assembly area will be built, and around Perth, ultimately connecting with NorthLink WA and Gateway WA, and offering a boost to industry sectors that rely on freight,” Price says.
Construction is scheduled to begin next year with a mid-2019 completion date.