Almost $9 million has been committed to major Pilbara road upgrades which will create and support local jobs.
A new $6.7 million road train assembly area will be constructed at the intersection of Madigan Road and North West Coastal Highway, funded under round six of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program.
The new assembly area will provide heavy vehicle operators with a safe place to stop and recharge, as well as an additional place for drivers to reconfigure their vehicles according to their permit requirements.
Work on the assembly area will commence in November 2019.
Commencing later this year is the construction of a new passing lane on the North West Coastal Highway between Roebourne and Karratha.
Funded by the Regional Road Safety Package, the $2.15 million project will extend the existing passing lane, providing a safer overtaking opportunity for northbound traffic.
Both projects are expected to be completed by March 2020.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
“These two significant safety improvement projects will create at least 20 local jobs during construction and when complete, make these Pilbara roads safer.
“My Government is committed to investing in road projects that support local employment and make our regional roads safer, which is why we allocated more than $2 billion in the recent State Budget to build and upgrade regional roads.”
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
“Regional road safety is a top priority for the McGowan Government and these projects will provide safer travelling opportunities, and improve transport efficiency, for local road users, heavy vehicle operators and tourists.
“With today’s other announcement of works starting on the Karratha-Tom Price Road, the Pilbara region is seeing a big boost in road upgrades, improving safety and supporting local jobs.”
As stated by Pilbara MLA Kevin Michel:
“Like many people who live and work in the Pilbara, sometimes I’m driving several hundreds of kilometres of road a day so these upgrades are vital in making our roads safer.
“I welcome the McGowan Government’s commitment to investing in the Pilbara, improving regional roads and creating local jobs.”
