The project will improve road connectivity to major industrial areas in Perth. Credit: Javier Esteban on Unsplash.

The governments of Australia and Western Australia (WA) have opened proposal submissions for the design and construction of the A$93m ($61m) Leach Highway and Welshpool Road Interchange project.

To help and support the WA economy that has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the government intends to fast-track the road intersection upgrade, which is one of 24 Western Australian transport projects.

Australia Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said: “Safety is also a huge factor in this area; in just five years from 2014, 224 crashes have been reported and we need to bring these numbers down.

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

Tudge further explained that the project would improve road connectivity to one of Perth’s major industrial areas while minimising traffic congestion across the freight network.

The project will be jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian governments, with each agreeing to provide A$46.5m ($30.7m).

Construction work at the site is expected to begin later this year.

Western Australian Minister for Transport and Planning Rita Saffioti said: “Up to 50,000 vehicles travel through this intersection daily, making it one of Perth’s most congested and dangerous.

“These upgrades will not only create a safer, more efficient intersection but will create and support local jobs.

“This is just one of 24 major transport infrastructure projects we are fast-tracking the procurement to deliver jobs and continue economic development in our suburbs.”

Saffioti added that Leach Highway / Welshpool Road intersection is currently ranked as the second-worst intersection across Western Australia for crash frequency and cost.