Local roads to benefit from State Government $39m expansion to Regional Road Safety Program

Multiple roads in the Mid West are set to undergo upgrades after the State Government extended the Regional Road Safety Program to local government roads for the first time.

The Cook Government allocated $39 million to 27 projects across the State under the program.

In the Mid West, Greater Geraldton and surrounding areas will benefit from upgrades aimed at reducing serious injuries and fatalities on local roads.

Greater Geraldton’s Allanooka Springs Road will receive $3.28 million for sealed shoulders and audible line marking, while Mingenew’s Depot Hill Road is set for $2.75 million in similar upgrades.

Chapman Valley Road was allocated $983,028 and Horrocks Road in Northampton will receive $2.7 million.

The program, established in 2020, has already upgraded about 10,000km of State-controlled regional roads. Analysis from the UWA Centre for Road Safety Research shows a 50 per cent reduction in fatalities and a 35 per cent reduction in serious injuries on treated roads.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the expansion to local roads marked a “landmark initiative” that would further reduce road trauma.

Road Safety Minister Reece Whitby said the program’s expansion to local roads was a key step in reducing regional road trauma.

“Investing in upgrades to regional roads is critical to ensuring drivers are safe across the State,” he said.

“We’re committed to making driving as safe as possible and the expansion of the RRSP to include local roads follows on from the Premier’s Road Safety Summit late last year.”