THE state government has chosen Southern Gateway Consortium to build the Perth-Bunbury Highway, which will bypass Mandurah and cut about half an hour off a journey down south. The winning consortium includes Leighton Contractors, WA Limestone and GHD Consulting. The new Perth-Bunbury Highway would be about eight kilometres shorter than the existing route through Mandurah and is expected to be completed by the end of 2009. The new road involves 70.5 kilometres of dual carriageway road from the Kwinana Freeway extension to Lake Clifton. The project will complete four lanes between Perth and Bunbury, bypassing Mandurah, and generally improve safety, efficiency and travel times. The project will be predominantly funded by the state with a significant contribution by the Commonwealth as part of the AusLink National Land Transport Program. The long-awaited project coincides with other regional road spending, with about $20 million earmarked this financial year to upgrade key sections of the South Western Highway, which has received significant bad press, and the Coalfields Highway.