Great Northern Highway upgrades were completed in December 2020, providing over 90 km of new highway, and improving safety and efficiency to all users.
The project has provided a platform for the future Bindoon Bypass missing link for 53.5 m vehicles.
Great Northern Highway provides a strategic freight link between Perth and the state’s north, as well as Darwin and the Northern Territory.
Stage One
Between 2000 and 2009, Stage One of the Great Northern Highway Muchea to Wubin Upgrade project included upgrades to a 76 km section of highway.
Stage Two
In 2014, we completed a comprehensive planning review of the full Muchea to Wubin link along the highway.
Following this review, the following upgrades were prioritised:
- Town bypasses
- Wider roads
- More passing lanes
- Flattening crests and easing curves
- Safer roadsides
- More rest stops
- Additional facilities for heavy vehicles.
Walebing and Wubin Upgrades
Completed in December 2020, upgrades included:
- Construction of 4 km of new highway through Walebing (the existing highway will be repurposed as local access roads)
- Upgrade of intersections with Midlands Road and Old Geraldton Road
- Upgrade to the Great Northern Highway intersection in Wubin to allow future southern access for 53.5 m road trains, access to local facilities and the Road Train Assembly Area
The new highway through Walebing now has an improved alignment replacing the existing tight low-speed curve and making that section safer and easier. In Wubin, widening works at the intersection with Mullewa-Wubin Road and upgrades around the Road Train Assembly area improves access for heavy vehicles.
Muchea North
Completed in June 20202, upgrades included:
- Three km of dual carriageway.
- New, wider single carriageway from Muchea to Chittering Roadhouse.
- Realignment of intersections at Old Gingin Road, Reserve Road, Wandena Road, Maddern South Road and Sugar Gum Drive.
- Repurposing the existing highway for local property access to provide controlled and safer access points to the highway.
Pithara
Completed in July 2019, upgrades included:
- Construction of 10.3 km of new highway.
- 5.7 km of widening and improvements.
- 1.5 km upgrade of Northam-Pithara Road.
- Intersection improvements and modifications within the Pithara townsite.
- Planting over 220,000 seedlings within the project site including the area where the redundant highway was removed.
Miling Bypass
Completed in April 2019, upgrades included:
- An eastern bypass around the Miling townsite.
- 9 km of upgraded highway and 2.5 km of side road improvements.
- Improved flood protection on Miling-Moora Road.
- A safer one-metre wide centreline treatment, wider sealed shoulders and two new overtaking lanes.
Miling Straight
Completed in June 2018, upgrades included:
- 22 km of new highway between Miling North Road and Gatti Road.
- New overtaking lanes and additional rest areas suitable for heavy vehicles and passenger vehicles.
New Norcia Bypass
Completed in May 2017, upgrades included:
- A 6 km bypass to the east of the historic town of New Norcia.
- A new 88 m bridge over Moore River and a scenic lookout.
The project has helped remove heavy vehicle movements away from the town, allowing for future development and restoration of the town.
Batty Bog
Completed in November 2015, upgrades included:
- Upgrades to improve geometry between Batty Bog Road and Walebing.
- More overtaking opportunities and improved safety.
Bindi Bindi
Completed in February 2015, upgrades included:
- An 11 km realignment to remove dangerous bends.
- A new rail crossing at Balidu-Bindi Road intersection.
- More overtaking opportunities.
The project achieved an ‘Excellent’ IS Design Rating under the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) Infrastructure Sustainability Rating Scheme. The program of works was the first full infrastructure program to be assessed under the IS Rating Scheme.
The ‘Excellent’ IS Design Rating recognises the joint efforts of the integrated project team of Jacobs, Arup and Main Roads to design for best practice outcomes in sustainability.
“The integrated project team identified sustainability opportunities throughout the program and to implement them into the delivery contracts. These were construct only contracts and it was the first time Main Roads had written sustainability requirements into that form of contract,” Project Director, Norm Fox said.
Rating highlights for the project include materials, ecology, water, management systems and community health and wellbeing. 
- Improved safety
- Increased freight efficiency and reduced traffic delays
- Improved network reliability - improving travel times and enhancing network access
- Enhanced travel wellbeing - improvements in roadside amenities for rest and driver information
- Contribution to sustainable and viable communities - by balancing community concerns, economic, community safety and network access issues
- Enhancement of the environment - by undertaking practices to retain and improve the environmental value of roadsides.
Environmental approvals
Bindoon Bypass Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Referral
Learn more on the Bindoon Bypass project page.
EPBC Construction Environmental Management Plans
- Muchea North Construction Environmental Management Plan - PDF (2.58 MB)
- Muchea North - New Alignment Traffic Switch - PDF (8.74 MB)
- Construction Update Wubin - January 2020 - Word document (.98 MB)
- Construction Update Walebing - November 2019 - Word document (1.78 MB)
- YouTube: Muchea North Aboriginal Engagement
Maps
- Muchea North Map - PDF (6.47 MB)
- Wubin Map - JPG (950 KB)
- Walebing Map - PDF (5.16 MB)
- Bindoon Bypass Map - PDF (2.5 MB)
- Pithara Map - PDF (6.78 MB)
- Miling Bypass Map - PDF (5.61 MB)
- Miling Straight Map - PDF (5.11 MB)
Media Statements
- Completed upgrades north of Muchea make Great Northern Highway even greater - 24 June 2020
- Great Northern Highway upgrades continue - 14 November 2019
- Great Northern Highway upgrade reaches new milestone - 05 June 2019
- Safer Great Northern highway a step closer - 30 November 2018
- Great Northern Highway's Miling Straight no longer narrow - 21 June 2018
- Work underway on two key Great Northern Highway upgrades - 24 April 2018
- Project savings allocated to Bindoon Bypass - 7 June 2017
Funding
Jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian Governments at $347.8 million.