Rita Saffioti says proposal to turn Albany Highway into a dual carriageway is at a “very significant cost”

Commuters to and from the Great Southern will have to deal with a single carriage Albany Highway for a bit longer with the Transport Minister labelling the cost to add additional lanes to the highway “very significant”. Rita Saffioti told the Albany Advertiser on Friday that transforming the 410km thoroughfare into a dual carriageway was not currently on the cards after former Premier Colin Barnett advocated for the idea at the WA Local Government Association conference earlier this month. She said the priority was to widen the shoulder of the road and add audible lining on either side of the lanes. “It has been costed, and it is a very significant cost,” she said. “In the meantime, what we’ve been doing is, of course, rolling out the Regional Road Safety Program. “I think 288km of the Albany Highway has already been upgraded with the widening of the shoulder and audible edge lining and also audible centre lines, and another 43km is under way. “We’re continually improving the quality of the Albany Highway, in particular, widening it to make it safer. “That’s our priority, and that’s what we’re working on at the moment.” Speaking at the WALGA conference on October 9, Mr Barnett said he would pick the dual carriageway from Perth to Albany as his “big project”. “That would feed not only the direct line of that route but right through the South West,” he said. “That’s where I think the State Government has to show leadership. “Take on those big projects.” A Main Roads WA spokesperson said there were 705 crashes on Albany Highway in 2023.