The eastern end of a big section of Toodyay Road being rebuilt between Lovers Lane and Jingaling Brook Road.
CONSTRUCTION has begun on a major re-alignment of Toodyay Road between Lovers Lane and Jingaling Brook Road.
MainRoads WA has built a sealed temporary 60km/h bypass around the construction area, which includes heavy earthworks and vegetation clearing to straighten dangerous bends and install a new 2.2km overtaking lane.
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Toodyay Road was rated by the WA RAC in 2017 as the state’s fourth most dangerous regional road for fatal and serious traffic accidents in 2017.
It blamed tight curves, blind crests, the lack of safe places to overtake and narrow road lanes and bridges.
In one recent serious accident (see Police Beat, Page 6), a Toyota Hilux ute was wrecked when it rolled and slammed sideways into a tree near Jingaling Brook Road, about 100m west of where the new roadworks begin.
The work pictured above includes widening a large stretch of Toodyay Road and installing a new centre line with a one-metre gap to separate vehicles travelling in opposite directions.
Main Roads WA says this, combined with new audible line markers, will reduce the risk of head-on crashes and give motorists time to recover if they stray into the opposite lane.
Bends will also be wider and straighter.
The work is similar to a two-kilometre stretch of Toodyay Road that was widened last year between Clackline Road and the Northam Toodyay Road.
The current roadworks are scheduled to be completed in May.
Work has also begun on acquiring private land and clearing roadside vegetation to build new Toodyay Road turn-off lanes at Sandplain Road and Racecourse Road.
Temporary traffic lights had been installed to manage traffic.
However, Main Roads WA said funds had yet to be allocated to complete this part of the project, which would be included in future upgrades.
The latest roadworks are part of a plan to upgrade Toodyay Road between Dryandra Road and the Goomalling Road turn-off.
New passing and heavy vehicle climbing lanes would also be built near the intersections of Sandplain Road and Salt Valley Road, and a passing lane and intersection improvements built at Fernie Road, which is used frequently by heavy trucks.
Main Roads WA says Toodyay Road is a strategic transport corrider.
The upgrade is part of a ‘Perth and Peel@3.5 million’ long-term growth strategy contained in the State Government’s Metropolitan Region Scheme.
