Key safety upgrades planned for Indian Ocean Drive and Brand Highway

• Safety improvement upgrades planned for Brand Highway and Indian Ocean Drive
• More than $24 million worth of works are planned over the next 24 months
• McGowan Government committed to regional WA with $2 billion allocated in the 2019-20 State Budget to upgrade and build regional roads

Two of Western Australia's key arterial roads, Brand Highway and Indian Ocean Drive, will undergo significant safety improvements and upgrade works as part of the McGowan Government's continued investment in regional road maintenance and improvements.

More than $24 million of works are planned over the next 12 months including:

• Widening 26 kilometres of Indian Ocean Drive between Coppino Road and Gingin Brook Road, and Moore River Bridge and Seabird
• Construction of two overtaking lanes and 19 km widening works on the Brand Highway, between Marri Heights Road and just north of Dandaragan Road
• 3 km of pavement repairs on Brand Highway at several locations
• 19 km of reseal works at various locations between Cataby and north of Eneabba
• Concrete deck overlay works on the Hill River Bridge, 6 km north of Badgingarra on the Brand Highway
• Improvements to the intersection of Brand Highway and Cockram Road, near Gingin
• Final seal and line-marking works to 17 km of Indian Ocean Drive between Breakwater Drive and Coppino Road
• Intersection improvements at KW Road and the addition of a heavy vehicle slow lane on Indian Ocean Drive between KW Road and Lancelin Road.

In addition to a smoother drive, road users will benefit from wider, safer roads, more passing opportunities and safer access to both Brand Highway and Indian Ocean Drive.

The Brand Highway links Perth with the port city of Geraldton, and is a key heavy vehicle route enabling service for agricultural and mineral resource industries, while Indian Ocean Drive offers a scenic route for tourists travelling to coastal towns including Cervantes, Jurien Bay and Port Denison.

More than $15m has already been spent on Indian Ocean Drive since 2018, following the release of the McGowan Government's Indian Ocean Drive Safety Review, which was initiated in 2017 in response to a series of serious and fatal crashes between Lancelin and Two Rocks.

Four new passing lanes between Seabird and Lancelin were officially opened to traffic in December 2018, while works to install wide centre line treatment along the length of the road from Yanchep to Lancelin, will continue through to 2020. This treatment creates a greater distance between opposing traffic, providing additional reaction time if a driver unintentionally drifts across the centreline towards oncoming traffic.

The safety improvement works are funded by the Road Trauma Trust Account, Safer Roads, Royalties for Regions, State Blackspot and Main Roads maintenance funds. 

Comments attributed to Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:

"The McGowan Government is committed to improving regional road safety, with more than $2 billion allocated in the 2019-20 State Budget to upgrade and build regional roads.

"Over the next 12 months $24 million worth of safety upgrades will be undertaken on Indian Ocean Drive and Brand Highway.

"These works will build on the previous safety improvements undertaken on Indian Ocean Drive, since 2018.

"Both of these roads are important routes for our agricultural and mineral resource industries that also provide a scenic route for tourists travelling between our coastal towns."

Minister's office - 6552 5600