Updated January 2012
North West Coastal Highway (NWCH) is the main link between regional centres at Geraldton, Carnarvon, Karratha and Port Hedland and provides access to various tourist destinations and coastal, mining and pastoral communities. It is also the main coastal freight route operating triple road trains north of Carnarvon. The rapid expansion of the oil and gas industries in the northern Gascoyne and southern Pilbara has substantially increased road train traffic on this link of the network.
Five floodway’s between Yannarie River and Pannawonica on NWCH have been identified as priorities and requiring upgrading to bridges. By providing all weather access of these floodway’s, safety will be improved by eliminating the risk of vehicles been washed-off the crossings in peak floods and vehicles becoming stranded waiting for the rivers to subside.
The project development for the future construction of bridges over Cave Creek, Goodeman Creek, Peedamulla and Peedamula East Creeks and Toolunga Creek will continue through 2012.
Construction funding has not yet been identified.
This 147 km section of NWCH has a 6.2 m seal with no sealed shoulders. With the increased movement of Road Trains on this link, widening to a 7 m seal and 1m sealed shoulders is desirable. Safety will be improved by providing for greater separation of heavy vehicles from each other and light vehicles. In addition the sealed shoulders will improve road safety and reduce shoulder maintenance works.
Survey and design contracts are currently underway, environmental clearances are being sought and water bore and material investigations have commenced. Further development of this project will be undertaken throughout 2012.
Construction funding has not yet been identified.
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