The first stage of upgrades to the Port of Esperance’s sole heavy vehicle access route have been completed, as part of a $19.6 million investment at the site.
The Hughes Road upgrades are aimed at improving safety and efficiency for heavy vehicles and other road users.
They include the installation of 920 tonnes of asphalt and close to one hectare of road pavement, as well as new drainage, kerbing, and new safety barriers.
The works have also delivered a new truck layover area configured to improve the flow of truck movements along the road.
Ports Minister David Michael commented: “Hughes Road is a crucial link in the Port of Esperance supply chain as the sole heavy access road in and out of the port, facilitating more than five million tonnes of trade over the past year.
“Significant growth has occurred at the port since the road’s construction four decades ago, with new and diverse commodities welcomed to accommodate the rapid expansion of the battery and other critical minerals trade and other markets.
“This critical supply route underpins the agriculture sector, with more than 3.4 million tonnes of grain and 270,000 tonnes of fertiliser delivered to and from the port.”
He added, “The road is now significantly safer and better equipped to handle the continued diverse trade opportunities facilitated by Southern Ports.”
Future upgrades will involve reconfiguring the port’s access intersection to better accommodate the growth in movements of larger B-triple trucks, as well as further works to reconstruct degraded areas of road pavement.
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