ACCESS for heavy duty vehicles has been upgraded at the Port of Esperance with completion of the first stage of Hughes Road works.
The road improvements are part of a $19.6 million investment at Port of Esperance that operator Southern Ports said would pave the way for more trade at the Port of Esperance.
The upgrades are designed to improve safety and efficiencies for heavy vehicles and road users, part of a supply chain of more than five million tonnes of trade annually.
Completion of the first stage of upgrades includes the installation of 920 tonnes of asphalt and close to one hectare of road pavement, as well as new drainage, kerbing, and new safety barriers.
The works have also delivered a new truck layover area configured to improve the flow of truck movements along the road.
Future upgrades will involve reconfiguring the port’s access intersection to better accommodate the growth in movements of larger B-triple trucks, as well as further works reconstructing degraded areas of road pavement.
Ports minister David Michael said Hughes Road is a crucial link in the Port of Esperance supply chain as the sole heavy access road in and out of the port.
“Significant growth has occurred at the port since the road’s construction four decades ago, with new and diverse commodities welcomed to accommodate the rapid expansion of the battery and other critical minerals trade and other markets,” Mr Michael said.
“This critical supply route underpins the agriculture sector, with more than 3.4 million tonnes of grain and 270,000 tonnes of fertiliser delivered to and from the port.
“The road is now significantly safer and better equipped to handle the continued diverse trade opportunities facilitated by Southern Ports.”
