BALDIVIS MP Reece Whitby said he was relieved a contract had been awarded for works to begin on the widening of the Kwinana Freeway.
Mr Whitby said the $49 million contract to cut congestion was awarded to BMD Constructions with works expected to start later this year.
The works will involve building a third north-bound lane for eight kilometres from Russell Road to Roe Highway to cut congestion and reduce travel times.
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“I have been raising this issue for years because I know traffic congestion impacts on the quality of life of thousands of people in the Baldivis electorate,” he said.
“This project is hugely important to Baldivis, Wellard, Bertram and other suburbs where people commuting to work get stuck in traffic every day.
“I know it’s incredibly frustrating to be jammed in a freeway ‘car-park’ every day.
“Widening this section of freeway will remove a notorious bottleneck around Cockburn Central which affects traffic flow for many kilometres further south.
“The positive flow-on effect of building this extra lane will free up congestion for many kilometres further back down the freeway.
“Reducing time stuck in traffic cuts costs for business and self-employed contractors and means more time with family to doing other things.”
The project includes:
– construction of noise walls along the eastern side of Kwinana Freeway, where required according to noise modelling;
– upgrading and realigning Principal Shared Paths where required; and
– modifications to drainage, kerbing, surfacing, lighting, road safety barriers, service relocations, signage and line marking.
The joint State and Federal project is due to be completed in late 2019.