Road Efficiency
Providing reliable and efficient movement of people and goods
Program Expenditure
Government Goal
Results based service delivery
Aim
Improve the efficiency, capacity and utilisation of the existing road network as part of a total transport network.
About the Program
The program includes:
- road widening
- bridge strengthening
- retrofitting to incorporate intelligent transport capabilities
- delivering geometric improvements.
Key Performance Indicators
| Road Efficiency KPI | Target | Actual | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| % Network configuration - Roads | 90 | 91 |  |
| % of contracts completed on time | 90 | 100 | |
| % of contracts completed on budget | 90 | 97 | |
Looking Ahead
- Improvements to Marble Bar Road, including upgrades between Newman and Ripon Hills.
- Development activities and construction on Great Northern Highway upgrade between Muchea to Wubin.
- Construction of interchanges on Tonkin Highway at Benara Road, Morley Drive and Collier Road.
- Construction of new bridges, including Old Mandurah Traffic Bridge and Treendale Bridge.
- Construction of the Margaret River Perimeter Road Stage 2.
- Deliver infrastructure works from the Traffic Congestion Management Program.
Key Projects
| Project | Total Project Cost ($ million) | 2015-16 Cost ($ million) | Completion Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Great Southern Region |
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| Ravensthorpe Heavy Haulage Route | 17.5 | 7.2 | December 2015 | Construct heavy haulage route on South Coast Highway. |
|
Metropolitan Region |
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| Gateway WA - Perth Airport and Freight Access | 908.5 | 113.6 | March 2016 | Upgrade sections of Tonkin Highway, Leach Highway and Perth Airport. |
| Reid Highway | 40.0 | 26.9 | June 2016 | Duplication of Reid Hwy between Erindale Road to Duffy Road and widening of Reid Highway between Duffy Road and Marmion Avenue. |
|
Mid West – Gascoyne Region |
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| North West Coastal Highway - Stage 1 | 32.0 | 17.0 | November 2015 | Widen seal between Minilya to Barradale. |
| North West Coastal Highway - Stage 2 | 86.5 | 48.5 | November 2016 | Widen seal between Minilya to Barradale. Construction of 2 bridges at Cave Creek and Goodeman Creek to replace floodways. |
|
Pilbara Region |
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| Marble Bar Road | 9.4 | 9.4 | May 2016 | Replace existing bridge over Fortescue River to accommodate heavy vehicle haulage. |
| Marble Bar Road | 20.2 | 0.5 | July 2016 | Upgrade and seal various sections of Newman to Ripon Hills Road (Nullagine River section). |
|
South West Region |
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| Vasse Bypass | 18.6 | 11.1 | January 2016 | Construct 3.4 km bypass on Vasse townsite and provide improved access to commercial areas. |
|
Wheatbelt Region |
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| Great Northern Highway – Stage 2 | 324.8 | 23.4 | April 2019 | Upgrade 75 km between Muchea and Wubin. Includes intersections, widening, reconstruction and additional passing lanes. |
| Narrogin Link Road | 9.0 | 4.0 | October 2016 | Town bypass for heavy haulage. |
Case Study: Traffic Congestion Management Program
There is no single solution to Perth’s traffic congestion. The Traffic Congestion Management Program (TCMP) was established to focus on multiple strategies and projects to improve traffic flow through more reliable travel times.
The TCMP has achieved a great deal in its first year and had a huge impact on driving in the Perth metro area.
Aligned under our strategic direction Keeping WA Moving the TCMP forms an integral part of a wider approach to addressing Perth’s traffic congestion challenge. We fully embrace the strategy areas of focus and keep our customers, their safety, their freedom of movement and our network’s sustainability at the centre of all our decisions.
The TCMP has implemented various, low cost, high impact initiatives. These initiatives, some of which are outlined below, have made significant improvements to traffic flow, benefiting all road users.
- Dedicated exit lanes: contentious merge points previously disrupting freeway traffic have been removed from four locations.
- Additional Mitchell Freeway lane Charles Street to Market Street. – a new, fourth lane has been created by reconfiguring road markings. Average speeds for southbound drivers have increased by 65 per cent in the evening peak period between Vincent Street and Market Street as a result.
- Freeway and highway merge lines – new merge lines have been installed at 56 freeway on-ramps across the Perth metropolitan network. Results demonstrate noticeable improvements in traffic flow.
- Yellow box junction trial – new methods of keeping intersections free-flowing by painting yellow ‘do not enter’ boxes on the road at four locations throughout the Perth area.
- 3D laser scanner – new technology introduced to increase the speed at which police can photograph incidents, clear affected vehicles and reopen the roads to traffic.
- Expansion of pedestrian countdown timers – LED countdown signs installed at a further 12 locations, increasing safety for pedestrian and improving traffic flow for drivers.
- Flashing yellow caution lights to turning traffic - introduced to protect vulnerable pedestrians crossing the road, improve driver awareness and maintain traffic flow.
- Right turn filtering lanes – as per customer feedback, the TCMP is investigating the effect of turning off the red right-turn arrow during non-peak times on certain intersections to assess if this will improve movement.
- Fog warning system trial – a first for Western Australia, a dedicated fog-sensing device triggering and alerting the Traffic Operations Centre to activate low-visibility warning signs has been introduced.
Case Study: Gateway WA
The Gateway WA Perth Airport and Freight Access Project has transformed the entry to Western Australia, upgrading the safety and efficiency of one of the most important transport hubs in the State.
Gateway WA is a road construction project jointly funded by the Australian and State governments and is the largest ever construction project we have completed. Construction began in 2013 to upgrade one of the State's busiest transport hubs. Safety and efficiency have improved throughout the project area, with road users experiencing reduced congestion and improved travel times. Furthermore, the project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget whilst delivering excellent outcomes for the community.
We made a commitment to achieve sustainable economic, environmental and social outcomes for the project from planning through to construction and beyond. This project resulted in work being contracted to more than 600 local suppliers and at its peak had more than 1,000 people working on the project.
It delivers on road efficiency and safety outcomes through:
- building and upgrade of five main interchanges
- widening of Tonkin Highway to six lanes between Great Eastern Highway and Roe Highway
- upgrading of Leach Highway between Tonkin Highway and Orrong Road to expressway standard
- incorporating of road and bridge improvements.
Long-term sustainable community benefits include:
- seven kilometres of noise walls
- approximately 21 kilometres of shared path and local connections for cyclists and pedestrians supporting the State’s commitment to provide safe facilities that are separated from the busy road network
- landscaped areas to be enjoyed for years to come.
The project was recognised by being awarded an ‘Excellent’ As-Built v1 Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) rating by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia. Gateway WA achieved the second highest IS rating possible for a completed infrastructure construction project in Australia. This is on top of the 2015 Infinity Awards (organised by the Waste Authority) where the Gateway WA Project was chosen as the winner of the Business Category for its commitment to waste minimisation on the project. Around 5.9 million tonnes of bulk materials were needed for the project and we sought to reduce the amount of material being sent to landfill including reusing material from other projects and recycling material such as soil. Waste management practices included recycling more than 95 per cent of waste sent offsite and processing 850,000 tonnes, the equivalent of 38 olympic sized swimming pools, of unsuitable material onsite, diverting this from being sent to landfill. The construction of infrastructure is made more sustainable through decisions and practices that seek environmental, social and economic benefits during the project and long after construction ceases.