Bussell Highway
The Bussell Highway duplication will be completed in two stages. Credit: David Mark from Pixabay.

The Government of Western Australia has secured federal funding to build a second carriageway on a section of the Bussell Highway.

The A$85m ($58.74m) project is set to begin later this year and will be completed in two stages.

In the first phase, a 5km section between the Capel Bypass and Hutton Road will be built, along with other reconstruction work on the existing carriageway. It is expected to create around 570 direct and indirect jobs.

Another carriageway will be constructed on a 12km section from Hutton Road to Busselton in the second stage.

Preparation works for stage two are currently underway.

The project is expected to mitigate traffic congestion and improve safety on the Bussell Highway, which is used by 15,000 vehicles daily.

Western Australia Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said: “This is an important project for the South-West region that will support local jobs, provide opportunities for local businesses to tender on the project and stimulate the local economy.

“We have worked hard to lobby the Commonwealth for this funding and I am pleased they have come to the table on this important project.

“With funding in place for this project, and construction of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road commencing next year, travel within the South-West region will soon become safer than ever before.”

Earlier this year, the Western Australia Government completed A$4.5m ($3.11m) worth of pre-construction work on Bussell Highway to facilitate the next stage of the project.

In April, Western Australia officially completed and opened the A$1.02 ($650m) NorthLink WA road project.