Locals want more done on SW highway

Main Roads is set to carry out work on a notorious stretch of South Western Highway after two fatalities in recent months, but Community Action Group says the “preventative maintenance” is not enough. A truck driver from Cookernup was killed in August on the same stretch of road eight weeks after the death of a woman who was metres from her home at the Waterloo Village Caravan Park. The incident sparked Main Roads to carry out a safety review and as a result a list of work including vegetation clearing, removal of advertising signs and sweeping loose aggregate from traffic lines will be carried out immediately. “It is quite amazing that Main Roads are saying these are constructive things they are doing as a result of our campaign,” group spokesman and caravan park owner Greg Homer said. “Sweeping roads, updating the lines, updating signage, cutting back vegetation, this is a normal Monday to Friday job for them, this is not something exceptional. “We are chasing after something that is a marked improvement on the road — lowering it to 80km/h to keep everybody safe.” Main Roads media manager Dean Roberts said the independent Safe System Review had been completed and an internal analysis of the findings had begun. “Main Roads will immediately undertake a number of low-cost treatments along this section of the South Western Highway,” Mr Roberts said. “Traffic classifiers were also recently installed on the highway to provide detailed information regarding the type of vehicle using this section of road, their direction of travel and their speed. “Findings of the report will be released once the traffic data and review analysis is finalised in coming weeks.” In a letter to residents, Premier Mark McGowan said a funding submission was being prepared for Main Roads’ State Black Spot Program but offered no time frame for vital improvements. “I call on the Premier, during one of his regular visits to Bunbury, to see for himself that this road is a deathtrap,” Mr Homer said. “Stop paying lip service to the problem, lower the speed limit (from 100km/h to 80km/h) and make everyone’s lives safer.” With COVID-19 bringing holiday-makers to the South West, Mr Homer is concerned for the safety of drivers. “The people who live here are familiar with these hazards, but when you add tourists, it’s bound to cause something significant and we don’t want to see that,” he said. “The next accident is just around the corner and we want to do everything proactive to make sure it does not happen.”