The opening date has been set for the four-lane, 27-kilometre Wilman Wadandi Highway – previously known as Bunbury Outer Ring Road.
It has been revealed that the major new highway will officially open to traffic on Monday, December 16.
Wilman Wadandi Highway will connect Forrest Highway north of Bunbury to Bussell Highway to Bunbury’s south.
It includes five new bridges and four grade-separated interchanges, while commuters heading to and from the south west will now avoid 13 sets of traffic lights.
The new road will slash commute times to and from the south west by around 20 minutes, depending on traffic conditions, while also diverting an average of around 15,000 vehicles from local Bunbury roads every day.
It will separate freight and tourist traffic from local traffic, with the aim of improving road safety, reducing congestion, and providing more efficient travel for motorists.
WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti commented: “This project has been a game changer in terms of its economic impact for the region, and it will continue to drive incredible outcomes from December when thousands of vehicles will be diverted from local Bunbury roads.
“Locals and anyone that drives to and from the South West know how congested the roads around Bunbury can get, but that will be a thing of the past when this highway opens.”
Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke added: “The Wilman Wadandi Highway will deliver a safer, more efficient transport route for the entire South West region, reducing the burden on our local roads, helping improve our road networks.
“As someone who lives and travels in the south west, I know how much of a difference the Wilman Wadandi Highway will make in the region, and with road safety being such a critical priority, creating safer travel in the South West is a great outcome for locals.”
The Wilman Wadandi Highway is the biggest road project ever delivered in the South West.
While the main alignment will be open in less than two months, some minor works will still be underway across a range of areas including on some local roads, landscaping, artwork, and minor tie-in works.
In the lead up to the opening, Main Roads will host a number of community drop-in sessions across the south west region, where the community can go and learn more about the new alignment and the different access routes that will be available upon opening.
The Wilman Wadandi Highway is jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian Governments.
The Australian Government has committed $1.1 billion, while the WA Government has contributed $356.7 million to the $1.46 billion project.