State Government calls for interest in three Freeway extension projects

THE State Government has called for expressions of interest in three new projects aimed to fix congestion on freeway congestion hotspots.

The three upgrades in question are:

– Kwinana Freeway northbound widening – Russell Road to Roe Highway;

– Kwinana Freeway northbound Smart Freeway upgrade – Farrington Road to Narrows Bridge; and

– Mitchell Freeway southbound widening – Cedric Street to Vincent Street.

In the southern suburbs, the two Kwinana Freeway upgrades will cover about 22 kilometres from Russell Road in Success to the Narrows Bridge in South Perth.

Perth’s first Smart Freeway on the Kwinana Freeway will create an additional lane from the Canning Highway to the Narrows Bridge through the use of smart technology.

The project will be complemented with ramp signals at Farrington Road, South Street, Leach Highway and Cranford Avenue to balance the flow of traffic onto the freeway.

Construction is expected to start in late 2018 with an aimed completion of late 2019 or early 2020.

Meanwhile, the Kwinana Freeway will be widened from two to three lanes between Russell Road and Roe Highway, with construction due to start in mid-2018, and completion around mid-2019.

In Perth’s northern suburbs, an additional lane will be created for seven kilometres of the Mitchell Freeway southbound from Cedric Street to Vincent Street, resulting in four continuous lanes between Erindale Road and Vincent Street.

This project will reduce merging bottlenecks, improving congestion and safety along this stretch of freeway.

Construction is expected to start in mid-2018, with completion by the end of 2019.

More information on the procurement process for these projects is available at http://www.tenders.wa.gov.au

“The Smart Freeways project will be the first of its kind in Western Australia and will use technology that has proven successful around the world in managing congestion, improving safety and getting the most out of existing infrastructure,” Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said.

“Significant growth in traffic volumes over recent years has resulted in congestion and flow breakdown on the Kwinana Freeway northbound.

“Both Kwinana Freeway projects will work together to enable traffic to move more effectively through this critical part of the metropolitan road network.

““The Mitchell Freeway carries some of the highest traffic demands in Perth, with up to 180,000 vehicles per day. Providing extra freeway capacity will result in a smoother and more reliable journey for residents of Perth’s northern suburbs, particularly during morning peak periods.

“These important freeway projects form part of a $2.3 billion investment in road and rail infrastructure by the State and Commonwealth governments and will create more than 850 jobs for Western Australians.”