Work has now started to upgrade Perth’s last remaining section of high-speed single lane highway to dual carriageway in Perth’s north-eastern suburbs.
WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti helped turn the sod for the four-kilometre dual-carriageway upgrade of Reid Highway between Altone Road and West Swan Road.
This project was funded through the redirection of funds from the flawed Perth Freight Link project when the WA Government was elected.
Modifications to the intersection of Reid Highway and West Swan Road will improve traffic flow and turning movements, while a new shared path for pedestrians and cyclists will improve access to the Swan Valley and enhance local connectivity.
The Reid Highway duplication project will also include a new bridge over Reid Highway at Arthur Street to connect the growing communities of Caversham and Dayton, a priority of the City of Swan. The State Government has worked with the City of Swan to make the bridge part of the duplication works.
The bridge will enable alternative access for buses to cross Reid Highway and for residents accessing the primary school opening in South Caversham in 2020. Meanwhile, emergency vehicles will also be afforded an extra exit and entry point.
Widening this section of Reid Highway was a WA Government election commitment, which will join a range of other projects – either under construction or being planned – aimed at tackling congestion in the north-eastern suburbs.
These include New Lord Street, NorthLink WA, Morley-Ellenbrook Line, the 355 bus service and record investment in new shared paths.
Decmil Southern Pty Ltd was awarded the contract for the Reid Highway project, which will be the first to be delivered under the WA Industry Participation Strategy, ensuring local work and job creation.
The $77.5 million project is jointly funded by the Commonwealth Government ($56 million) and State Government ($14 million), with an additional $7.5 million contribution from the City of Swan towards the Arthur Street Bridge.
Source: WA Government