A Town Under Pressure
Toodyay—a charming heritage town with cobbled paths and century old buildings—has long faced the pressures of modern freight transport. For years, heavy trucks hauling agricultural lime, grain, livestock, quarry rock, fuel, mining supplies, and other bulk commodities have squeezed through residential streets, testing the limits of local road infrastructure. Recently, community voices have grown louder, with concerned locals warning that the town’s roads, never designed for today’s massive freight vehicles, might soon crumble under the strain.
Echoes of the Past
The idea of diverting heavy haulage away from Toodyay isn’t new. Back in January 2001, the Coalition Government unveiled a bold $9 million plan to fast‐track Stage Two of a Toodyay bypass—complete with a new bridge over the Avon River—to shield the town centre from oversized trucks. Although the proposal met with fierce resistance from local landowners (especially those near the burgeoning River Hills Estate) and was ultimately shelved, it left an indelible mark on local memory.
Decades ago, the very routes that now strain under freight traffic were established in an era when Toodyay’s roads were mere bush tracks. Over time, incremental improvements and contentious decisions—both praised and decried—shaped the roads. The historical struggle to balance modern freight demands with the preservation of a small town’s character remains a hot topic in local lore.
Safety Issues on Toodyay’s Temporary Route
The temporary route through Toodyay’s residential streets includes five right-hand bends, requiring large trucks to move into oncoming traffic lanes to navigate these turns. This situation has raised safety concerns among residents. A large semi-trailer is often forced to cross into the path of oncoming traffic to travel across Newcastle Bridge after crawling around five sharp right-angled bends through residential streets on Toodyay’s ill-suited temporary heavy haulage truck bypass.
Toodyay’s Heavy Haulage Bypass Abandoned MRWA 2021
Abandoned: seems a bypass isn’t coming any time soon. The 'idea' was formally scrapped after local landowners fought off a $9 million proposal back in 2001, and despite ongoing complaints about road damage and safety risks, Main Roads WA has made it clear that there are no plans to revive it. Instead, the focus remained on upgrading existing routes, like Toodyay Road, as part of the broader EastLink WA project.
After revisiting the issue in 2020/21, Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA) decided to abandon plans for a new heavy haulage bypass around Toodyay. This decision was influenced by various factors, including community opposition and environmental concerns. Instead, MRWA has focused on upgrading existing routes to improve safety and efficiency.
Looking Ahead
Fast forward to 2025, and heavy vehicles are still rumbling through Toodyay’s narrow residential streets. The so-called “temporary” freight route continues to force oversized trucks into tight bends and onto streets never designed for such loads. Social media has been buzzing with concern, with several locals recently warning that an increase in freight traffic could accelerate the deterioration of Toodyay’s already fragile roads.
However, fears that Chalice Mining’s Gonneville Deposit will add to this problem are largely misplaced. The proposed mine is located in Julimar, with direct access to existing transport routes leading south towards Chittering and Perth’s rail network. There is no practical reason for ore from the site to be hauled through Toodyay, as the town is well out of the way and not on any logical freight path for the project. This means that the town’s roads are unlikely to experience additional strain from this particular project.
Current Road Planning and Future Infrastructure
The Toodyay Road Upgrade project aims to enhance road conditions between Dryandra Road and Toodyay, with construction expected to begin in 2025 and completion anticipated by 2027.For a detailed view of the current road layout and proposed changes, you can refer to the town-site map provided by the Western Australian government.
The Shire of Toodyay continues to advocate for a new heavy haulage truck bypass, emphasising that the town remains a road freight "choke point." However, as of now, such a project is not on MRWA's current works agenda. Read more here.
While the idea of a new bypass has been set aside for now, efforts are ongoing to improve existing infrastructure to enhance safety and accommodate current traffic demands.
The Reality of Toodyay’s Freight Problem—No Easy Fix in Sight
Here’s the saddening reality: Even the government’s push to buy back and expand Western Australia’s rural rail network is unlikely to make a significant difference for Toodyay. While shifting freight onto rail makes sense in theory, there’s no guarantee it will reduce truck traffic through the town. Rail logistics depend on infrastructure, corporate buy-in, and long-term investment—none of which offer immediate relief to residents dealing with the daily grind of heavy haulage through their community.
For Toodyay, the story is less about solutions and more about resignation. The town’s roads will continue to bear the weight of regional freight, and unless something drastic changes, Westside locals will have to keep dodging trucks on their morning coffee runs for the foreseeable future.