Construction of the Albany Ring Road has entered its final stages, with the project on track to be completed and open to road users before the middle of the year.
New bridges are now in place at the South Coast Highway and Frenchman Bay Road interchanges with work now focused on construction of the road surface between Lancaster Road and Princess Royal Drive, along with the installation of safety barriers, signs and road markings.
Over the coming months, completed sections of the Ring Road are expected to open incrementally and be connected to the existing road network. This will begin with the section between the Albany Highway interchange and the South Coast Highway bridge in March.
Upon completion, the project will establish an 11-kilometre free-flowing connection between Albany Highway and Princess Royal Drive, including three grade-separated interchanges at Albany Highway, South Coast Highway and Frenchman Bay Road.
The new road will divert heavy vehicles around Albany, improving freight efficiency, reducing congestion and improving safety on existing local routes.
The WA Government has also confirmed construction of a new $37 million flyover at the intersection of Menang Drive and Chester Pass Road will begin in late 2024.
The new flyover will maximise the efficiency of the Albany Ring Road route by providing free flowing access from Chester Pass Road all the way to the port.
The existing intersection has a combined daily traffic volume exceeding 6,000 vehicles, of which 54 percent are heavy vehicles.
The new flyover will make the westbound turning movement from Chester Pass Road to the Albany Ring Road (Menang Drive) free-flowing, removing the need for trucks to queue in the turning lane before making a right turn across oncoming northbound traffic.
Concept designs and initial site investigations for the new flyover are well-progressed and will continue during the first half of the year. Construction is expected to begin in late 2024, with the new interchange to open in 2025.
WA Minister for Transport Rita Saffioti outlined the benefits of the major transport infrastructure investment.
“The Albany Ring Road is the largest infrastructure project ever delivered in the Great Southern region and will provide a safe, efficient, free-flowing route for heavy vehicles accessing the port,” Minister Saffioti said.
“Importantly, the project will also remove heavy vehicles from the existing network, improving safety on Chester Pass Road, Albany Highway and South Coast Highway, and enhancing amenity for local residents and visitors alike.
“The additional interchange at Menang Drive and Chester Pass Road will allow the final link in the Albany Ring Road connection to be delivered, complementing the other new interchanges at Albany Highway, South Coast Highway and Frenchman Bay Road.”
The Albany Ring Road project is jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian Governments.