North and south-bound lanes of Bussell Highway congested on Queen’s Birthday holiday

Holiday-goers faced lengthy delays along Bussell Highway on the Queen’s Birthday public holiday, regardless of which direction they were travelling.

The appeal of staying in Perth for Saturday’s AFL Grand Final, and the lure of the Perth Royal Show were a recipe for competing push and pull factors causing steady traffic in both directions.

Bumper-to-bumper delays began from Busselton in sections of Bussell Highway duplication, which guides motorists through a series of redirections while the route is upgraded to a dual carriageway.

Some commuters reported being stuck in traffic for more than an hour between Busselton and Bunbury.

The exodus from Perth, usually beginning on the last Friday of the school term, was likely delayed as people stayed put for the once-in-a-lifetime Grand Final celebrations.

Metro-dwellers who chose to wait out the weekend began to drive down in trickles on Sunday, but had taken to the road in droves by lunchtime Monday.

The appeal of the big game had taken many South West residents north, many of them returning to the region on Monday.

A strong pull factor for many South West residents trekking north for the Perth Royal Show.

The Show was cancelled last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the first time it had been cancelled since World War Two.

It is in stark contrast to this year, as 60,000 people flocked to the Claremont Showgrounds for the first day of the event.

Traffic to and from the South West is expected to be steady over the school holidays as WA residents trickle between city’s prize agricultural show and the State’s biggest tourism region.