- Menang Drive delivering major benefits for Albany community
- More than 200 heavy vehicles removed from centre of Albany each day
- Highest number of trucks removed in single day was 342
- Truck movements to increase significantly during upcoming harvest season
Data collected since the opening of Menang Drive (Albany Ring Road project) in May shows an average of around 200 trucks have been removed from the centre of Albany every single day.
The data was collected using temporary traffic monitors throughout the months of August and September with permanent counting stations to be established in the coming month.
The data means around 30,000 trucks destined for the Port of Albany have now used the ring road since it opened, resulting in a safer and more efficient commute for residents on local roads.
The number of trucks using the road is expected to grow significantly in the months ahead with the grain harvest season approaching.
Menang Drive provides an 11-kilometre connection between Albany Highway and Princess Royal Drive, with trucks travelling to the Port of Albany now required to use this road. The new road includes three grade-separated interchanges at Albany Highway, South Coast Highway and Frenchman Bay Road.
Prior to the project, vehicles travelling to and from the port would have been using key arterial routes including Chester Pass Road, Albany Highway, and Hanrahan Road heightening the safety risk for residents and visitors to the area.
Two designated truck parking bays on Menang Drive close to Lancaster Road are also being heavily used, with demand expected to grow in the coming years.
Meanwhile, residents and visitors are experiencing more efficient journeys, particularly at the southern end of the project following construction of the new Frenchman Bay Road interchange. The interchange has removed a level crossing and two unprotected right turning movements, addressing what had been an accident hotspot and a heavily congested location during the AM and PM peak.
The benefits of the project will be further enhanced following construction of a new flyover at the intersection of Menang Drive and Chester Pass Road, which will provide free-flowing access from Chester Pass Road all the way to the port. Site works are expected to begin next year.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"The data we have obtained to date shows just how big an impact Menang Drive is having on local Albany roads, with thousands of trucks no longer using some of the city's key arterial routes.
"Prior to the opening of this road, heavy vehicles moving to and from the port travelled through the centre of Albany, competing with local traffic along the way.
"With truck movements growing year on year, having heavy vehicles use this route was no longer sustainable or safe for Albany locals, which is why we invested hundreds of millions to build the new ring road.
"Not only is the Menang Drive making Albany roads safer for locals, but it's also helping underpin the economic viability of the region by providing a safe, efficient and unimpeded corridor for freight to the Port of Albany."
As stated by Albany MLA Rebecca Stephens:
"I know firsthand the impact this road is having, and only a few months after opening, we're seeing some really positive benefits.
"The most significant impact is still to come, with harvest season and a big increase in truck movements on the horizon.
"Albany locals know how challenging it was to compete with grain trucks on our local road network, but for the first time they won't have to, with thousands of grain trucks set to use Menang Drive to access the port."
