Pinjarra-Williams Road Upgrade
Funding Required: $7.5 million
Funding Purpose: To improve the safety of travel along Pinjarra-Williams Road (and section of Bannister Marradong Road) between the towns of Boddington and Dwellingup. There is currently one passing lane at approximately 47km mark of the 50km drive.
This drive encompasses travel along Bannister-Marradong and Pinjarra Williams Roads, which are State controlled roads managed by Main Roads WA. The route has been the site of a number vehicle crashes and incidents, and causes continued concern from users with a high number of near misses. Significant amounts of trucks at slow speed make this route a dangerous drive, often with 50km between overtaking opportunities. This leads to risk taking and significant safety concerns for road users. Installation of passing lanes represents a proven safety initiative.
A traffic study completed in 2021/22 noted that up to 31.9% of vehicles travelling along this route were trucks. The traffic volume in some stretches of this road had increased by over 50% from the previous year.
The recent reduction in broken white lines, as well as a lower speed limit being implemented has increased levels of frustration that have been evident over many years, leading to drivers taking increased risks. Trucks utilising the road travel long stretches at less than 20km / hour, and the road is not conducive to overtaking safely.
A community survey revealed that residents believe that the top three key contributors to a lack of safety on this road are: a lack of suitable passing opportunities, driver behaviour, and quantity of slow moving vehicles. These elements are intrinsically linked, and related to the solution of installation of passing lanes.
Contact: Shire of Boddington – Julie Burton ceo@boddington.wa.gov.au
