Tonkin Hwy contract awarded to ease freight flow

A CONTRACT for the transformation of one of Perth’s busiest freight corridors, the Tonkin Highway. has been awarded to civil contractor NRW.

The contract is for major upgrades between Roe Highway and south of Welshpool Road and will see the widening of the highway to six lanes.

The works form part of the jointly state and federally funded Tonkin Highway Corridor project, which both governments say will improve safety, reduce congestion and deliver more reliable travel times along what is repeatedly described as a “crucial transport link” for industry and the south‑eastern suburbs.

As well as widening the Tonkin Highway and constructing new grade‑separated interchanges at Welshpool Road East and Hale Road — interventions that remove signalised bottlenecks and are expected to significantly smooth heavy‑vehicle movements.

Construction will be staged, with the Welshpool Road East interchange delivered first to maintain local connectivity. Western Power relocation works along Hale Road are already underway, with major construction expected to begin later this year.

For freight operators, the upgrades are expected to reduce stop‑start conditions and improve travel‑time reliability across a corridor that links industrial areas, intermodal facilities and key arterial routes.

The state government notes the works will “improve safety and reduce congestion along this busy freight route”. underscoring the freight task as a core driver of the investment.

The Welshpool–Hale Road section is one component of a long‑term overhaul of Tonkin Highway from Muchea to Mundijong. This includes the Tonkin Highway Extension, the Thomas Road Upgrade and the recently completed Tonkin Gap project — all of which strengthen the north–south spine that underpins Perth’s freight network.

While the announcement does not reference Westport directly, the corridor is identified in Westport planning as the primary heavy‑vehicle route into the future Kwinana container terminal. The current upgrades therefore form part of the enabling works that will support the shift of container trade south.

Development work is also underway for a future Kelvin Road interchange, which will be delivered in a later stage.

Federal infrastructure minister Catherine King said the investment would improve “safety, efficiency and reliability across this crucial transport link”, while WA transport minister Rita Saffioti described Tonkin Highway as a route that “helps drive our State’s economy” and is central to the government’s record road‑building program.

Local members emphasised the benefits for both community and industry, with Forrestfield MLA Stephen Price highlighting reduced congestion “along this busy freight route”