WA Bunbury Outer Ring Road southern alignment one step closer to construction

A preferred route has been chosen by the Western Australian Government for the Bunbury Outer Ring Road (BORR) southern alignment, taking the project one step closer to construction. With the preferred route set, further project planning and design will go underway before it is referred to the Federal and State environmental regulators for approval.

The existing road reserve has been decided as the preferred route for the southern alignment - between the South Western Highway and the Bussell Highway - after an extensive investigation and consultation process.

Community consultation has resulted in a number of changes to the initial road design, including:

• The protection of a tuart tree in Gelorup identified as important to the community
• New north facing ramps at Raymond Road interchange, reducing traffic using Raymond Road near Meadow Landing
• Development of a signage and landscape strategy to promote Bunbury as a key destination
• Partial or full duplication of Bussell Highway to be included in the project scope
• Less impact on Gelorup residents by moving Hasties Road connection to Centenary Road
• Maintain east-west connectivity between Bussell Highway and South Western Highway

“We have sought to adjust the alignment so it does not impact the tuart tree in Gelorup, which the community has shown is a local treasure,” Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said.

Project map (source: Main Roads WA)

Over the past year, the BORR team was committed to engaging with the local government, freight industry, business groups and local communities to gather feedback and the team will continue with consultations into 2020 as planning progresses into construction.

“We have also sought input from the many local governments, including City of Bunbury, Shire of Dardanup, Shire of Harvey and Shire of Capel in a bid to maximise the benefit of the road to each area,” Ms Saffioti said.

Once the BORR is completed, some of its benefits will include reduced travel times between the south and north of Bunbury as well as free flowing traffic movements for the freight transport industry.

The BORR is a 27-kilometre highway between Forrest Highway and Bussell Highway, and it is comprised of three sections - northern, central and southern.

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Source: Government of Western Australia; Main Roads WA; The West Australian; Bunbury Mail