Bindoon Town Hall in Shire of Chittering.
Camera IconBindoon Town Hall in Shire of Chittering. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Main Roads given green light to investigate Bindoon bypass

Montana ArdonThe Advocate

MAIN Roads has been given the green light to plans for a new section of Great Northern Highway that would provide a bypass around Bindoon.

The bypass route, which would take traffic west of the Bindoon town site, would include 48km of new highway between Chittering Roadhouse and Calingiri West Road.

Transport Minister Bill Marmion said he endorsed the realignment option, known as Western Bypass Corridor A, after a review of planning study findings.

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“Corridor A achieves the best balance of cost, freight efficiency and social impacts,” Mr Marmion said.

“Additionally, it can be built with minimal disruption to the existing highway.”

Mr Marmion said the project would provide a boost to the economy by creating local jobs.

“When construction goes ahead this project is expected to create more than 250 jobs, which is great news for West Australians,” he said.

Chittering Shire President Gordon Houston said the council was relieved a decision had finally been made, ending years of speculation and uncertainty for residents.

“While the most recent consultation regarding three proposed bypass routes commenced in April last year, various other alternatives have been on the books for more than a decade,” he said.

“We have genuine sympathy for those residents who will be directly impacted by this decision, however all three options would have impacted directly on property owners and the final decision by the Minister has considered extensive input provided by both the community and the Shire.”

Three bypass options were presented for community and stakeholder feedback. Feedback was assessed against a range of safety, social, economic, heritage, environmental, traffic and transport efficiency criteria to determine the most appropriate solution.

“While we acknowledge that Corridor A will adversely affect some residents, it is probably a logical alternative to the proposed eastern alignment, which was prohibitively expensive, and to Western Bypass Corridor B, which would have divided the community,” Cr Houston said.

“Western Bypass Option A also follows part of the old Perth to Darwin road corridor and at its northern end runs parallel to the rail line and through broadacre farming land.”

Mr Marmion said the bypass would provide the final link in upgrading Great Northern Highway to the same standard south from Wubin to the planned road train assembly area at Muchea.