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Narrow, damaged, dangerous roads
This stretch of road has been identified as an area that needs to be improved. The plans are all in place, land acquisitions have been agreed, water supply re-routed – at the end of 2010 the $40million dollars needed were withdrawn from the WA Main Roads Department allocated for this project.
- 570 road trains pass through the Bindi Bindi bends each day.
- There have been 2 deaths in this stretch over the last 4 years.
- The local school bus needs to share the road with heavy equipment.
Road Closed for Mining Equipment
Edge of Road drops away
Crumbled road surface at Bindi / Miling turnoff
- On Saturdays and Sundays many loads going north require police escorts and the 10 km through the Bindi Bindi bends to be closed, stopping traffic for 15-20 minutes while they come through.
- Many loads going north are wide loads (wider than a single lane) requiring escort vehicles. On coming traffic is required to pull over completely or drive with one side of the vehicle on the verge.
- Many areas of road within the Bindi Bindi Bends have sharp, dropped away edges which make is potentially dangerous when wide loads force vehicles to drive partially off the road.
- The Great Northern Highway is a major transport route for many agricultural businesses.
- Great Northern Highway is the main arterial route for trucks / road trains carrying resources and equipment to the mining areas in the north.
- Via trucks and road trains hay, sheep, cattle, grain are shipped from farms / depots down to Perth, Fremantle, Kwinana and further.
- Tourist / recreational vehicles, local families / residents, road trains, trucks, mining vehicles, agricultural vehicles all need to share the road.
- Millions of dollars of equipment are transported on this road every year including mining equipment and portable housing.
3 Road Trains Passing at Bindi Miling Turnoff
- The Bindi Bindi Bends are 9kms of windy roads with a reduced speed limit of 90km / hour due to the more difficult driving conditions. Most of the rest of the Great Northern Highway is 110km/hour (except through towns). Some trucking companies restrict their drivers to 80km on this stretch as it is so dangerous.
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The project is ready to go - it just needs the funding
The project was approved and is ready to go – the road planning is complete, the acquisition of land agreements are complete, the water supply has been moved – all that is required is for the Federal Government to allocate the funds.
