Slip lane open for long weekend

Motorists heading to the South West for the long-weekend should experience fewer delays at Bunbury’s notorious Eelup roundabout with the opening of the slip lane this week.

The $1.7 million slip lane forms the first step in the roundabout’s $16 million upgrade to ease traffic congestion on the roundabout, which will eventually include a flyover.

Transport Minister Troy Buswell said completion of the traffic congestion abatement measure meant southbound traffic no longer needed to enter the roundabout, essentially avoiding what had been one of the State’s worst Black Spots.

‘‘We expect a large number of vehicles to use the slip lane particularly this weekend and over the busy summer holiday period,’’ Mr Buswell said.

The Eelup roundabout has the highest number of traffic crashes in WA with more than 650 over the past five years.