Final Albany Ring Rd project to boost freight efficiency

Western Australia’s Albany Ring Road project nears completion with the final project being announced.

Construction of a new flyover at the intersection of Menang Drive and Chester Pass Road will improve efficiency along the Albany Ring Road, providing heavy vehicles with a non-stop connection from Chester Pass Road to the Port of Albany.

Highway Construction has been awarded a contract to deliver the $60 million project and will begin work this month.

The first phase of construction activity will include earthworks for the embankments of the new flyover on each side of Chester Pass Road, with most of the activity to take place away from the road – minimising the impact on public traffic.

WA Transport Minister, Rita Saffioti, said delivering the entire Albany Ring Road has been a game changer for the state’s Great Southern region.

“In its first 18 months of operation, the project has taken about 2,000 vehicles per day out of the centre of Albany, including 800 trucks,” she said.

“This project will complete the Albany Ring Road, generating local jobs in the short-term and supporting the future growth of the region’s economy.”

The new grade separated interchange will allow southbound vehicles to exit Chester Pass Road via an elevated ramp, passing back over the top of Chester Pass Road through a bridge and connecting into Menang Drive westbound.

It is expected to improve safety and efficiency for heavy vehicles by removing the need for trucks to queue in the turning lane before making a right turn across oncoming northbound traffic.

“This flyover is a major road safety upgrade for Albany, separating heavy vehicles from local traffic, making travel significantly safer for families, freight operators and all drivers who use the Ring Road,” said Road Safety and Great Southern Minister, Reece Whitby.

“Completing the final link of the Ring Road will transform how traffic moves around the city, providing a non-stop connection to the Port and making Albany an even better place to live and work.”

In other news, Border Express founder, Maxwell James Luff, has passed away.