Bird’s Eye View

10 gold stars Main Roads Department

It is not often that I hand out bouquets (sadly) but with the opening of the new Central section of the Tonkin Hwy upgrade (Stage 6) I really feel that Main Roads has got it right.

It is a bit disconcerting the first time you use it – hang on a minute where exactly am I? And am I in the right lane to get off where I want to go? But it certainly lops off a large amount of travel time.

Built at a cost of about $280 MILLION - of which the Federal Government contributed approximately half, this is part of the five year National Building Program to extend Tonkin Highway all the way to Muchea. The total cost of this project (all the way to Muchea) was over $1100 million – can you even imagine those sorts of numbers? One Powerball is all I can say. This Central section that has been finished goes from Reid Highway intersection to The Promenade in Ellenbrook and was designed to take the traffic off Great Northern Highway and the Swan Valley area. Great idea – fully laden trucks and tourists visiting the wineries in the Swan Valley (often pulling in and out at short notice and with no warning) are not a good mix and are a recipe for disaster. Giving the trucks another route – wider, smoother, more direct and with less ‘local

traffic’ is certainly a bonus. The suggested time saving of 15 minutes is an added bonus – which means time for an extra coffee or toilet stop.

The Northern section which will go all the way through to Muchea is on target for completion February 2020 and this is the one that will really make a difference for the transport industry. Being able to bypass Bullsbrook where you crawl along at 60kph will make an incredible time difference. From a safety point of view, it is also a huge step up. Busy small towns and heavy vehicles are never a good mix.

We have had some really good road projects here in WA over the last 10 years. Starting with the ‘Polly Pipe’ and the Gateway Project around the airport, it has made a huge difference in time and safety. Every time I bypass the ‘Bindi bends’ I still think whoa, that was great. Many, many years of being stuck behind oversize or slow-moving loads is now just a passing memory as you zip through there quickly and easily.

There is still a ‘huge’ amount of work to be done on our roads to make them safe and fit to travel – but this is a good start and I can't wait to travel the new section and see the difference.

10 gold stars Main Roads Department.

Many, many years of being stuck behind oversize or slow-moving loads is now just a passing memory as you zip through there quickly and easily.