Western Australia awards contracts for Great Eastern Highway Bypass project
The project is expected to be completed in mid-2024. Credit: Jorge Ramírez on Unsplash.

The Western Australian Government has awarded a contract to a consortium consisting of Laing O’Rourke, AECOM, and Arcadis to deliver the A$386.5m Great Eastern Highway Bypass Interchanges project.

The planning and development for the project, which will create a free-flowing gateway into Perth’s eastern suburbs, is currently underway.

Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, Paul Fletcher said the project aims to eliminate congestion and enhance safety for traffic across the Hazelmere and Forrestfield industrial and freight distribution centres.

He added: “This project is receiving A$247.25m ($188.26m) of funding from the Morrison Government, part of our A$110bn ($83.709bn), ten-year infrastructure pipeline.

“We are investing in critical infrastructure in Western Australia to lay the foundations for economic recovery on the other side of Covid-19 and this project forms part of that.”

Two new major interchanges will be developed as part of the project, which will support around 2,700 jobs.

The second interchange will replace the existing signalised intersection at Roe Highway and the Great Eastern Highway Bypass.

It will enhance safety and traffic flow on a section of road used by over 60,000 vehicles each day.

As part of the Great Eastern Highway Bypass Interchanges project, the Great Eastern Highway Bypass between the new interchanges and the Lloyd Street connection north of the Great Eastern Highway Bypass will be upgraded.

Upgrades will also be implemented at parts of Abernethy Road and Roe Highway between the Great Eastern Highway Bypass and Clayton Street.

In addition, a bridge over the Helena River will be constructed while the extension of Lloyd Street from Clayton Street to Stirling Crescent and the creation of new shared paths will also be carried out.

Early work is set to start mid-year, with completion expected to take place during the middle of 2024, subject to environmental and statutory approvals.

Last month, the Queensland Government in Australia initiated the first phase of the Isis Highway safety upgrade as part of its economic recovery plan and job creation efforts in the Wide Bay region.