The owner of one of Western Australia's busiest farmers markets says a new $20 million road won't go far enough to ease congestion.
The Bunbury Farmers Market, nearly two hours south of Perth, attracts thousands of people every week including tourists from interstate and overseas.
It's even the number one suggested place to visit in Bunbury on the well-known travel app Trip Advisor.
But its popularity with locals and tourists has led to congestion issues on its tight corner block — something owners said they had been trying to solve for almost a decade.
The state government announced $20 million towards a new road and traffic light intersection a few hundred metres west to divert local traffic around the farmers market.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said while the road was primarily for local residents in the surrounding suburb of Glen Iris trying to avoid the busy area, it would have a flow-on effect.
"We're getting tens of thousands of vehicles through the current [Vittoria Rd] intersection," she said.
"We all know accessing the Bunbury Farmers Market on a weekend, on public holidays — pretty much every day, can be very difficult."
New road 'won't help'
But Bunbury Farmers Market owner Kevin Opferkuch said the new intersection wouldn't help his business.
"In reality the money being spent is obviously to facilitate the development of the residential section so it's really nothing to do with the farmers market to be honest," Mr Opferkuch said.
The farmers market had put forward its own $600,000 plan to address congestion, but Mr Opferkuch said it had been rejected by WA Main Roads and the local community.
He was concerned the new road layout could impede access to the farmers market.
"For us if we could have that slip lane off Forrest Highway it would alleviate all our issues," Mr Opferkuch said.
"We've been trying to achieve that for at least six years with absolutely no support from anyone."
He said traffic would significantly reduce once the Bunbury Outer Ring Road (BORR) was completed and the state government should wait before committing to the new intersection.
But WA Main Roads traffic modelling showed traffic on Forrest Hwy around the market was expected to stay around 34,000 vehicles a day, even after the bypass road was completed.
Meanwhile, the Bunbury Farmers Market was gearing up to build a new shop 60 kilometres further south in Vasse as the BORR opens to traffic.
Local traffic choked by popular market
The new road project was part of a strategy to correct some of the infrastructure issues plaguing the suburb of Glen Iris which is boxed in by a river, a major highway and two freight rail lines.
As part of that plan, consideration was also given to move Forrest Highway slightly to the north, however it was deemed too expensive.
It also proposed the new road would in the future turn west and cross the Preston River, linking with a new intersection on Robertson Drive at Rodsted Street.
Ms Saffioti said the most important purpose of the road was to "open up the area for more sensible development".
"There's more development to come and we know there's been a wish for the community living in the area to create a new commercial centre for local residents and we know there are aspirations for further housing in this area too," Ms Saffioti said.
Construction on the proposed intersection would likely begin in 2024.
