Main Roads forced to re-seal sections of Wilman Wadandi Highway just weeks out from opening

Main Roads WA is putting millions of dollars into resurfacing parts of the Wilman Wadandi Highway just weeks out from its scheduled opening but insists the road will still be ready come December 16. The agency is undertaking remediation works to 20 lane kilometres — which equates to 20km worth of single lane road of which there are 140 across the whole highway — due to an “extremely wet winter”, according to a Main Roads spokesperson. The cost of the work to reseal and strengthen the road was estimated to be in the millions of dollars and will come from the existing project funding. The spokesperson said the late works were not unusual for projects of this size. “Works on the Wilman Wadandi Highway are continuing in preparation for the scheduled opening on December 16,” they said. “Due to the area’s high water table and an extremely wet winter, some northern sections of the road have been undergoing remediation in recent weeks due to impacts from subterranean water. “The remediation work will be completed shortly and is not expected to impact the opening date. These works include additional protections to prevent this impact in the future. “This type of engineering challenge is not unusual for a major road project of this size, and defect liability conditions are automatically built into contracts to protect taxpayers from additional project costs.” The State Government is standing firm on its announcement that the 27km road will open in time for Christmas, estimated to save up to 18 minutes on a commute from Perth to the Capes. The project has faced delays and budget blowouts in the past, with the budget of $1.46 billion being a whopping $600 million more than its original cost. A State Government spokesperson told the Times “Main Roads has advised the road remains on track to open on December 16”.