A HEAVY vehicle bay on Coalfields Highway will be upgraded, with $1.37 million allocated to the project.
Deputy Premier and Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey said the project was funded by the Road Trauma Trust Account and would take two months to complete.
“Coalfields Highway is the major road freight and passenger link between the South Western Highway and the town of Collie, connecting Bunbury to the inland regions,” she said.
“Upgrading the heavy vehicle bay on Coalfields Highway, four kilometres east of the intersection with South Western Highway, will significantly improve safety for all road users.”
Transport Minister Dean Nalder said the upgrade to the bay would extend its life and increase capacity to accommodate the growing number of trucks travelling on Coalfields Highway on a daily basis.
“The heavy vehicle bay is an essential stopping area for truck drivers to carry out safety checks of their loads, brakes and tyres before continuing down the Coalfields Hill,” Mr Nalder said.
“Once upgraded, the new bay will ultimately be able to cater for a further seven road trains, bringing the total capacity to 12 at any one time.
“The upgrade is part of a Government $48 million commitment to improve the Coalfields Highway from west of the Wellington Dam turn-off to just west of the town of Collie.”
About 5,800 vehicles use Coalfields Highway daily, 15 per cent of which are heavy vehicles. The heavy vehicle bay will remain operational during the construction period.
Mrs Harvey said $146 million had been allocated from the Road Trauma Trust to projects.
Regional West Australians would benefit from nearly $64.9 million for road safety features including overtaking lanes, wire rope barriers, audible line edging and road widening.
"The over-representation of fatal crashes on regional roads is unacceptable, and while personal responsibility is the number one solution, as a Government we will do all we can to make our roads safer and more forgiving in the event of a crash," Mrs Harvey said.
