- More than 1,000km of Mid West Gascoyne roads now upgraded through Regional Road Safety Program
- Three additional projects due to be completed before the end of the year
- Two further projects scheduled to commence in early 2025
- Landmark program is delivering safer roads across regional Western Australia
The State Labor Government's landmark Regional Road Safety Program continues to surge ahead in the Mid West Gascoyne region, with three further projects scheduled for completion before the end of the year.
The Regional Road Safety Program has been rolling out across Western Australia since 2020, and in that time more than $110 million has been invested to deliver upgrades to 1,050 kilometres of State roads in the Mid West Gascoyne region.
A further $67 million has also been allocated to a range of additional projects in the region including three which are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. Completion of these projects will see that number grow to more than 1,400km in the Mid West Gascoyne.
The Regional Road Safety Program works to prevent one of the leading causes of death and serious injury on regional roads - single vehicle run off road crashes - by installing treatments like widened and sealed shoulders, and audible edge lines.
The three projects due for completion in the Mid West Gascoyne before the end of the year include:
- 85km of Great Northern Highway between Meekatharra and Karalundi
- 46km of Midlands Road between Mingenew Morawa Road and Brand Highway
- 17km of Brand Highway between Indian Ocean Drive and Midlands Road
Two additional projects are scheduled to commence early 2025 including:
- 80km of Great Northern Highway between Mt Magnet and Cue
- 38km of Great Northern Highway between Cue and Tuckanarra
Major roads that have already received upgrades through the program include:
- 343km of North West Coastal Highway
- 256km of Great Northern Highway
- 137km of Brand Highway
- 98km of Indian Ocean Drive
The Regional Road Safety Program was launched by the State Labor Government in 2020, and since that time, more than $1 billion has been invested by the State and Federal Governments, and more than 9,000km of the State's regional road network upgraded.
By the middle of next year, the program is expected to reach the 10,000km milestone with the majority of state-controlled regional roads upgraded.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"The Regional Road Safety Program is the biggest road safety program ever delivered in this State with thousands of kilometres of roads now upgraded across our regions.
"The Mid West Gascoyne region alone has had well over 1,000km of road network upgraded with critical safety treatments like widened and sealed shoulders, and audible edge lines.
"We know single vehicle run off road crashes are one of the leading causes of death and serious injury on our roads, and these types of upgrades provide an additional safety net and warning to drivers if they start to drift off the road.
"The changes we are making are delivering a safer road network for communities across the Mid West Gascoyne."
As stated by Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton:
"When you live in Geraldton, you will often be driving onmajor State roads like the North West Coastal Highway, Brand Highway and Indian Ocean Drive, and making those roads safer is an absolute priority for our Government.
"We've seen a huge investment into these roads in recent years, helping to make them safer than they have ever been.
"We need to continue investing into our road network to make sure it remains as safe and efficient as possible, and I will continue to advocate for further funding on behalf of our community."
As stated by Agricultural Region MLC Sandra Carr:
"Our Government is focused on making our road network as safe as possible, which is why we have been making significant investments through the Regional Road Safety Program.
"This program is the biggest road safety initiative ever delivered in the Mid West Gascoyne and is ensuring that in the event someone starts drifting, we have road network that helps them safely regain control."
