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# WA's $55M Road Now Open
- URL: https://www.carexplore.com.au/was-55m-road-now-open/
- Published: 2025-04-03T11:22:23.000Z
- Updated: 2025-04-03T11:22:23.000Z
- Description: A 33km section of Indian Ocean Drive reopens with key upgrades, improving road safety and travel efficiency along WA's coastal corridor.
- Author: Dylan Anderson
- Tags: Car News, Western Australia

A key stretch of **Indian Ocean Drive** will reopen to traffic tomorrow following the completion of major upgrades aimed at improving safety and travel efficiency for drivers along [Western Australia’s](https://www.carexplore.com.au/tag/western-australia/) coastline.

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The **33-kilometre section between Leeman and Brand Highway** has undergone significant work, including:

- Full widening of the road
- Realignment of 8 kilometres between Eneabba-Coolimba Road and Freshwater Bay
- Construction of two new overtaking lanes

These upgrades are part of a broader effort to make this important route to Dongara safer and more efficient, particularly for residents and visitors travelling between Perth and WA’s coastal communities.

### Completion in Time for School Holidays

The road closure, which began in April last year to facilitate the works, included detours for motorists. The now-completed project ensures Indian Ocean Drive is ready ahead of the **April school holidays**, a critical period for regional travel.

The $55 million project was **jointly funded** by the **Australian Government** and the **Western Australian Government**.

This project builds on prior work completed in **2023**, which saw:

- 25 kilometres of widening between Jurien Bay and Green Head
- More than 200 kilometres of audible edge and centre lines installed under the Regional Road Safety Program

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### Ongoing Commitment to Safer Roads

WA Transport Minister **Rita Saffioti** welcomed the reopening and thanked communities for their patience:

> "The State Government is committed to improving regional road safety across Western Australia, and it's fantastic this important upgrade will be completed in time for the April school holidays."

> "This work will provide a safer link for local residents and a number of coastal communities north of Perth."

> "More than 200 kilometres of Indian Ocean Drive has now been upgraded in recent years – through widening, installation of audible edge and centre lines, construction of overtaking lanes, and installation of new safety barriers and signage – as we continue to improve safety for road users."

With this latest milestone, Indian Ocean Drive continues to evolve as a safer, more reliable corridor for tourism, freight, and community connectivity across WA’s Mid West and coastal regions.

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