Scarborough Beach Road to be upgraded for new Surf CAT
Announced as a State election promise, the Surf CAT will be a free bus service connecting Stirling station and Scarborough Beach via Ellen Stirling Boulevard and Scarborough Beach Road.
The State Government has allocated $4.3 million for the Scarborough Beach Road and West Coast Highway intersection upgrade, which will introduce new bus priority lanes constructed along Scarborough Beach Road.
The $4.3m will also fund bus branding, installation of additional stands, and modifications to traffic light signalling to support the service.
Design work on the upgrades is currently under way, with further details expected to be released by the State Government shortly.
Although in the same location, the intersection upgrade is separate from Main Roads' long-term plan to sink a section of West Coast Highway, meaning the upgrade may only be used for a few years. An artist's impression of the proposed sunken lanes on West Coast Highway, Scarborough. Credit: Supplied
Last month's State budget allocated a total of $18m for the new CAT service, exceeding Labor's original election promise of $14.2m.
According to the State Government, this is due to the project being funded for an additional year, to the end of the 2028-29 financial year.
WA Transport Minister and Treasurer Rita Saffioti said the new service would improve access to one of the State's most popular coastal areas and support the local economy.
'Getting more people down to Scarborough will also help support small businesses in the area and add to the vibrancy of the precinct,' Ms Saffioti said.
'The addition of the Surf CAT is part of our broad-ranging plan to make public transport more affordable and accessible for Western Australians, and alleviating pressure on our road network.'
Running every 10 minutes during peak periods, including Thursday nights for the Scarborough Summer Markets, the service is expected to take travellers between Stirling station and Scarborough Beach in under 15 minutes.
Despite construction works for the bus service not being scheduled to start until later this year, the State Government still expects the Surf CAT to be operational this summer.
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