EVALUATION COMPLETE
The South Coast Highway between Albany and Esperance is a nationally significant freight and tourism corridor, connecting key regional ports and supporting the Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance regions. The proposal seeks to address safety, reliability, and efficiency challenges on the corridor, which was rated as highly vulnerable in the 2023 Road and Rail Supply Chain Resilience Review – meaning it is particularly susceptible to disruption due to severe weather. The proposal supports the objectives of the Infrastructure Policy Statement, National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy and the National Road Safety Strategy by targeting improved freight productivity, reduced crash rates, and greater resilience to climate and weather-related disruptions.
PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION
The proposal involves targeted upgrades to the South Coast Highway between Albany and Esperance, including road widening, pavement rehabilitation, additional overtaking lanes, and replacement of bridges to address safety and reliability issues.
INVESTMENT RECOMMENDATION
The Australian Government should note this proposal as a potential future investment opportunity in the 2-4 year pipeline, with further work underway to identify value for money options and to prioritise the most urgent safety and asset renewal works.
OPPORTUNITIES AND OUTCOMES
This proposal has the potential to:
- Improve safety for all road users – targeted upgrades would support reduced crashes and associated costs for treated sections of the South Coast Highway.
- Increase resilience to climate and weather-related disruptions – highway upgrades would reduce the risk of unplanned road closures, supporting supply chain continuity for remote communities and export industries.
- Enhance freight productivity and reliability – road treatments would improve the movement of agricultural and mining freight to the ports of Albany and Esperance, and support reduced travel times and vehicle operating costs.
- Lower maintenance costs – improved road condition and management of a key regional road corridor would support lower maintenance costs, which are rising as the highway is extended beyond its design life.
NEXT STEPS
Proponent to develop potential investment options (Stage 2 of Infrastructure Australia’s Assessment Framework) that:
- confirms shortlisted options through rapid cost-benefit analysis on a broader range of options, including staging options
- includes further cost refinement and value engineering.