Contract awarded for bridge upgrades on WA freight route

A CONTRACT has been secured for three bridge upgrades aimed at improving the movement of freight in the Kimberley.

Engineering company Fortec Australia has been tasked with delivering the upgrades along the Great Northern Highway between Port of Broome and Port of Wyndham.

The $33-million dollar project is jointly funded by the federal and Western Australian governments.

It involves replacing three existing single-lane crossings with dual-lane bridges over Arthur Creek, Frog Hollow Creek and Tickalara Creek on the Great Northern Highway.

The governments said the existing single-lane bridges at each site present considerable safety hazards to motorists. Forty-four crashes were recorded in the project area between 2017 and 2021.

Federal minister for infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government Catherine King said the communities depend on safe travel and freight transport links between and beyond the target localities.

“Projects like this are important to not only assist employment and businesses in the communities these bridges connect, but also to provide better infrastructure and safer roads lasting long into the future,” Ms King said.

“The Australian government is pleased to be co-funding these much-needed bridge replacements, effectively reducing safety hazards and streamlining passenger travel and freight transport links between these essential communities.”

And WA transport minister Rita Saffioti said the long-awaited bridge improvements were becoming a reality.

“The project will support the continued growth of the Western Australian economy by improving the efficiency, safety and reliability of Great Northern Highway between Port of Broome and Port of Wyndham,” she said.

“It will also support regional economic development by encouraging the continued development of the regional tourism industry through improved travel times, travel experience and reliability.”

The bridges are three of 13 single-lane bridges that remain in the Kimberley.

Construction is scheduled to commence by mid-2023.