PLANS to upgrade the Coalfields Highway at Hamilton Bridge have taken a step forward.
Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray welcomed the long-awaited announcement that national park excisions to progress road works at the site were being put to State Parliament.
Mr Murray said the Hamilton River section of road works could not start until areas of the Wellington National Park were excised.
Last week notification was given that amendments to the Land Administration Act 1997 were being advertised, he said.
"Coalfields Highway users have been waiting nearly five years for this section of road to be fixed, so I am pleased that finally moves to excise and include land near the Hamilton Bridge are being put forward," Mr Murray said.
"Hopefully the new road design and layout will be straighter and wider to overcome the narrow bridge and winding approaches in that area," Mr Murray said.
Works on the Hamilton River section were expected to start in January 2015 after legislative changes were passed to allow for the excision of about 19.13 hectares and inclusion of about 22.78 hectares of land from the Class A Reserve 46213 known as Wellington National Park.
"With the expected increase in grain freight trucks using the Coalfields Highway to access Bunbury Port, these improvements will benefit all road users in the end," Mr Murray said.
