The West Australian - 27th August 2009

Speed blitz on Bunbury highway


The new Perth to Bunbury highway will be saturated with Multanovas, hand-held speed cameras and police drug and breath testing patrols when it is opened next month.

Officers from the specialist Traffic Enforcement Group would target motorists, with reinforcements from two different police districts, police vowed.

The $705 million highway, to open on September 20, is a 32km extension to the Kwinana Freeway and 38.5km of new dual carriageway, called the Forrest Highway, which extends to the start of the Old Coast Road dual carriageway, just south of Lake Clifton.

The new road is expected to cut 30 minutes off the travelling time between Perth and Bunbury, but Insp. Neil Royle from the Traffic Enforcement Group warned motorists not to try to trim more time off the trip by speeding.

"There will be a substantial presence on the highway from the time it opens, with highway patrol cars and cameras, and drivers can expect drug and breath tests," Insp. Royle said.

"We will also have contributions from South Metro traffic and Peel traffic."

Main Roads manager traffic operations and services Craig Wooldridge said the 100km/h speed limit on Kwinana Freeway would be maintained south to the new Lakes Road interchange which will feed traffic into Mandurah. After that the limit will be 110km/h.

"We are working with WA Police to ensure that a strong police presence is in place from the opening to keep driving behaviour responsible," Mr Wooldridge said.

The highway takes a lot of traffic off a single lane section of Old Coast Road, which has been rated the most dangerous Federal highway in WA with an horrific safety record of at least 43 crashes, including five deaths, in the past six years.

RAC head of member advocacy Matt Brown said while the highway would replace WA's most dangerous section of road, motorists should be responsible when they used the new road.

"Motorists must remember that speed kills, so we urge people to drive within the speed limits on the highway," Mr Brown said.

"If they don't, they will not only being endangering their lives and the lives of others but they may also find themselves out of pocket because of the increased enforcement efforts."