SAFETY upgrades are to be delivered at more than 100 regional and metro locations across the state under the black spot and safer roads programs this year, a combined $52 million investment by the state government.

Funding will deliver both current upgrades and crucial planning and pre-construction works, with a total of $22m allocated for black spot projects and $30m to safer roads projects.

Projects include upgrades to the Great Eastern Highway and Scott Street intersection in the Shire of Mundaring, the Wellington Street and Gordon Street intersection in the Shire of Northam, the Padbury Avenue and Moore Road intersection in the City of Swan, and overall improvements to Greenhills Road in the Shire of York and to Mooliabeenee Road in the Shire of Chittering, with works planned to cost more than $1m.

In the last decade, WA road fatalities have been higher in regional areas than metro every year, with the highest disparity between regional and metro areas being more than 50 deaths in 2022.

Road Safety Minister David Michael said the funding highlights the government’s commitment to improving WA’s road safety.

“Unfortunately, deaths on regional roads are again over-represented in the fatalities data for the year-to-date, but we are working hard with road safety improvements such as these along with the regional road safety program to make our roads as safe as possible,” he said.

The planned projects include 63 improvement sites in regional areas.

According to statistics released by the state government, there has been a slow downward trend in road fatalities in WA over the past 20 years, however the number still sits tragically high, with 122 deaths already this year.

“This $52m injection will help deliver more than 100 projects across the state: critical upgrades like new safety barriers, sealed shoulders, roundabouts and traffic signals,” she said.

“Improving road safety is a high priority for our government.”