Work on the Albany Ring Road is well underway with construction completed on the section of road between Albany Highway and South Coast Highway, and the new bridge connecting Hanrahan Road to Frenchman Bay Road set to open to traffic on 28 March.
Opening the section of the Ring Road between Albany Highway and South Coast Highway will improve access to and from Denmark for residents of Albany’s northern and eastern suburbs.
The opening of the Frenchman Bay Road bridge over the rail line will address one of Albany’s most congested intersections and improve access between Little Grove and the CBD, and enable the final pavement and sealing works on the main Ring Road alignment to be undertaken over the coming months.
The Albany Ring Road project is the biggest road project ever undertaken in the Great Southern region – delivering a free-flowing, 11km connection between Albany Highway and Princess Royal Drive, including three grade-separated interchanges at Albany Highway, South Coast Highway and Frenchman Bay Road.
The new road will divert heavy vehicles around Albany, improving freight efficiency, reducing congestion and improving safety on existing local routes, including Albany Highway.
The entire Albany Ring Road is funded by the Federal and Western Australian Governments and remains on track to open before the middle of 2024.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, said that the Albany Ring Road is a critical project for Western Australia’s Great Southern Region, safeguarding the long-term viability and efficiency of the Port of Albany by providing free‑flowing road access.
“This will ultimately improve competitiveness of exports from the region,” Ms King said.
“The opening of the section to South Coast Highway and the new Frenchman Bay Road Bridge is an important double milestone as we look to get the Ring Road fully operational by the end of Autumn.”
Western Australian Minister for Transport, Rita Saffioti, said that Main Roads and their contractor Decmil have made outstanding progress on the Albany Ring Road project during the summer months.
“The new interchanges are substantively complete and road pavement works are on the final stretch,” Ms Saffioti said.
“This is the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken in the Great Southern region and will provide a safe, efficient, free-flowing route for heavy vehicles accessing the port and remove those same vehicles from the local roads they’re currently using.
“Removing heavy vehicles from the existing local network will improve safety on a number of key roads including Chester Pass Road, Albany Highway and South Coast Highway and enhance amenity for local residents and visitors alike.”