Opening date locked in for $1.46B Wilman Wadandi Highway

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The Federal and Western Australian governments have announced the official opening date for the new Wilman Wadandi Highway, previously known as the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.

The new road will open to traffic on Monday, December 16 and is expected to reduce commute times to and from the South West by around 20 minutes, while also diverting an average of around 15,000 vehicles from local Bunbury roads every day.

The Wilman Wadandi Highway will separate freight and tourist traffic from local traffic, improving road safety, reducing congestion, and providing more efficient travel for motorists.

The four-lane highway stretches 27 kilometres, connecting Forrest Highway north of Bunbury to Bussell Highway south of Bunbury. It includes five new bridges and four grade-separated interchanges, while commuters heading to and from the South West will now avoid 13 sets of traffic lights.

While the main alignment will be open, some minor works will still be underway across a range of areas including on some local roads, landscaping, artwork, and minor tie-in works.

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The Wilman Wadandi Highway is the largest road project ever delivered in the South West.

The project has been jointly funded by the Federal ($1.1 billion) and Western Australian governments ($356.7 million).

State Member for Murray-Wellington Robyn Clarke said the new road will make a real difference for the community.

“The Wilman Wadandi Highway will deliver a safer, more efficient transport route for the entire South West region, reducing the burden on our local roads, helping improve our road networks,” Clarke said.

“As someone who lives and travels in the South West, I know how much of a difference the Wilman Wadandi Highway will make in the region, and with road safety being such a critical priority, creating safer travel in the South West is a great outcome for locals.”