Congestion at Bayonet Head and Lower King roads intersection to be addressed in $150k feasibility study

A spotlight has been cast on traffic congestion issues faced by residents travelling to and from Bayonet Head, with the City of Albany council voting to spend $150,000 on a feasibility study examining solutions. In a motion originally raised by Cr Rebecca Stephens and amended to be “less prescriptive” by Cr Lynn MacLaren, the council unanimously decided to examine methods to ease traffic flow at the intersection of Lower King and Bayonet Head roads, at its November 25 meeting. Home to about 3500 residents, the development of Bayonet Head first began on the southern side in the 1970s with the northern end beginning development in the late 2000s, with Bayonet Head Road the sole access route to the older, southern section. The study will consider the potential of partially realigning the nearby Mercer Road and consulting Main Roads WA, DevelopmentWA, the Albany Cemetery Board — due to the proximity of the Allambie Park Cemetery to the intersection — and nearby residents. Cr Stephens, who lives in Bayonet Head, said as well as increased traffic congestion, the limited access to the suburb posed a bushfire threat to its residents. “Currently, Bayonet Head Road remains the sole access route to the older southern section of the suburb,” she said. “This lack of alternative access options contributes to congestion and heightens bushfire risk, given the surrounding uncleared bushland and limited evacuation routes available to residents.” Albany mayor Greg Stocks said the single-road issue originated in 2013 when the land earmarked for a second entry road into the southern end was put under environmental conservation. “In the original design for Bayonet Head, there was always going to be a second road, and now, it’s quite difficult to do,” he said. “It’s a feasibility study to work out the best way to solve this issue, which I think is highlighted by the fact that there was an accident two or three weeks ago, and it took people an hour to get to work. “But whatever happens, we are clearly at the point where, because we don’t have a connection through Range Road, as we grow quickly, these issues are starting to present, and so we need to start thinking about the concepts. “We need to do this properly, and we need to consult the community properly, and we need to be thinking long term, so it’s an important notice of motion that’s been agreed to. “The general feedback from the community today has been, this is long-overdue.” The funds, flagged to be allocated in the City of Albany’s 2026-27 budget, will go towards traffic counts, engineers, concept plans and community consultation.