Main Roads issues renewed instructions to safely navigate ‘one of the busiest intersections in the State’

Instructions from Main Roads telling Albany residents how to use Chester Pass roundabout have started arriving in letterboxes. The instructions are near the front of the Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual business and community directory, which is distributed throughout the City of Albany. It features four diagrams which indicate the lanes drivers should be in depending on the turn they intend to make. A Main Roads spokeswoman said the roundabout was “one of the busiest intersections in the State”, carrying about 50,000 vehicles each day. “It is dual lane and connects a total of five roads, rather than the standard three or four, making it slightly more complex to navigate than a standard roundabout,” she said. “The ‘How to use the Chester Pass roundabout’ has been in circulation to the general public for many years and has been distributed to various outlets, including local libraries and caravan parks, and advertised in local newspapers and a section of the Albany Business Directory. “Main Roads has investigated other possible treatments at this location, such as the installation of traffic signals. However, due to the limited stacking distance for traffic available within the roundabout, this is not considered a viable option.” The roundabout and the nearby intersection of Albany and South Coast highways topped RAC’s list of regional WA’s riskiest intersections in August. It was the second time in a row the intersection had topped the list, which is released by the insurance company every three years. It was also top of the list in 2014 and second in 2017. The Main Roads spokeswoman said the Albany Ring Road would provide an alternative route to the roundabout once it was completed. “This is expected to improve traffic flow on the existing network by reducing heavy vehicle traffic, reducing congestion and enhancing safety for local and tourist traffic,” she said.