Building for Tomorrow: How the Regional Road Safety Program is making WA’s roads safer

There’s nothing we love more than exploring the far reaches of our state. However, driving through the remote and regional parts of Western Australia can be different to what you’re used to, so it’s important you keep safe on the road.

While you can do your part behind the wheel, Main Roads WA is working to implement the Regional Road Safety Program – improving thousands of kilometres of roads across Western Australia to help reduce the risk and severity of run-off road crashes.

Since 2020, around $1 billion has been invested in the program to install safety treatments including sealed shoulders, audible edge and centre line markings (also known as rumble strips), and wide centre-line treatments. Combined, these treatments provide a more forgiving road environment and have the potential to reduce road trauma by up to 60 per cent. 

Alongside these safety improvements, Main Roads WA is also building new roads and bridges to help better connect our regions.

Last year, flooding caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie in the Kimberley saw sections of the Great Northern Highway completely washed away, and the Fitzroy River Bridge at Fitzroy Crossing catastrophically damaged, isolating communities and disrupting essential supply routes to the East Kimberley and Northern Territory.

After months of tireless work, the new Fitzroy River Bridge was opened, six months ahead of schedule, stronger and longer than the previous bridge. The new bridge contains twice the number of steel and concrete piles which have been driven twice as deep into the riverbed – ensuring the bridge is more resilient in future flood events.

Other major projects improving Western Australia’s regional roads and connecting communities include upgrades to the iconic Gibb River Road, sealing of the Outback Way, construction of the Albany Ring Road and Bunbury Outer Ring Road and duplication of the Bussell Highway between Bunbury and Busselton. 

To find out more about the projects making WA roads safer and keeping the state connected, head to the Building for Tomorrow website.

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This article is sponsored by Dept. of Transport and endorsed by us. Please see our Editorial Policy for more info.