A 29-year-old man died on Tuesday when his ute collided with a large truck being chaperoned by an escort vehicle on the four-lane Bussell Highway in Western Australia's south west. The crash occurred as the truck was turning right across the intersection with Spurr Street, one of three key intersections in a 600-metre stretch leading to the towns of Capel and Peppermint Grove Beach.
Residents have renewed calls to reduce the speed limit from 110kph to 80kph after a spate of serious crashes. Capel Road Safety Action Group member Toni Steinbrenner said 110kph was not appropriate and that the group had reports of near misses. She noted that crossing the highway was the only way out of town to access Bunbury and Busselton, and urged an interim speed reduction while infrastructure upgrades are planned.
Main Roads has completed a safety review and does not recommend changing the speed limit. Instead, the review suggests improvements such as line marking, better signage, and intersection upgrades, which will be completed over the coming months. Longer-term intersection improvements would require additional planning and funding.
Bussell Highway is known locally as a notorious road for crashes. A petition signed by 121 people was lodged in WA's parliament last year by local member James Hayward, calling for a speed reduction between Capel Drive and Spurr Street. Shire of Capel councillor Rosina Mogg said the community had long called for action, and she had put motions before council to write to the minister.
The stretch of road had been under traffic management for much of the past year as part of an $85 million upgrade immediately south of Spurr Street, but the 110kph speed limit was restored after work was completed earlier this year.
