NRW has won a contract in Perth, Western Australia, to undertake major upgrades on Tonkin Highway, between Roe Highway and south of Welshpool Road.

This section forms part of the Tonkin Highway Corridor project, jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian governments.

Under the contract, NRW will widen Tonkin Highway to six lanes, build new grade-separated interchanges at Welshpool Road East and Hale Road. The company will also add a shared path for cyclists and pedestrians.

The works will be carried out in several stages, beginning with construction of the Welshpool Road East interchange to boost local connectivity.

Preparatory works are already in progress, with Western Power relocating overhead power infrastructure along Hale Road. These activities include installing new transmission poles, moving existing powerlines and clearing some vegetation to maintain safe distances around the equipment.

After the completion of these initial works, major construction is expected to start later in the year.

The project is forecast to create around 600 jobs per year during the construction period.

In addition to the main contract, the Western Australian government is funding ongoing development for a proposed future interchange at Kelvin Road, intended as another stage in the overall corridor upgrade.

The Tonkin Highway Corridor project complements other major transport initiatives in the area, with ongoing work on the Tonkin Highway Extension and Thomas Road Upgrade and the Tonkin Highway Gap project finished in 2024.

WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said: "Tonkin Highway is a crucial transport link that helps drive our State's economy and connects communities across our south-eastern suburbs. These upgrades will help traffic flow more smoothly through this corridor, improving safety for all road users and reducing travel times for locals. It's part of our long-term transformation of Tonkin Highway, which once complete, will improve safety and efficiency from Muchea to Mundijong."