CITY of Gosnells will consult the community ahead of a $2.5 million plan to downgrade Fremantle Road in Gosnells from a dual carriageway to a single lane road each way.
Councillors voted to present the plan for public comment, after a six-year review of traffic data showed vehicle use had fallen and numbers were expected to remain static in the foreseeable future.
Proposed changes to the 1.8km stretch of road are designed to accommodate between 7000 and 15,000 vehicles a day, well within the predicted traffic volume.
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READ NOWThe plan also features the addition of on-street parking, cycle lanes, turning pockets and road safety improvements to several intersections along Fremantle Road.
The community will have an opportunity to provide feedback in the coming months and based on public comment the City will complete a detailed design, which will be presented to council.
It is expected the project will be completed in stages over multiple years with priority given to intersection upgrades, as grant funding becomes available.
Director of infrastructure Dave Harris moved to ease residential fears the downgrading would increase traffic congestion, citing figures that predicted traffic would not reach 10,000 vehicles a day by 2031.
He said the project would still cater for reasonable levels of traffic and argued it would ease congestion for residents.
Under the proposal, the section between Hartley Street and Albany Highway would not change, while the section between Corfield Street and Bilich Street would also remain.
It is expected intersections along Fremantle Road – between Bilich and Hartley streets – would require upgrading to manage traffic safely and efficiently.
The George Street intersection, which has traffic signals and is the subject of poor performance, may be modified to a roundabout.
Deputy Mayor Julie Brown said the new road layout between Hartley and Bilich streets would bring a number of benefits and streetscape enhancements.
“This is a great opportunity to improve the street frontage and amenity for residents living on Fremantle Road, one of the oldest roads in the area,” she said.
“Fremantle Road no longer serves the purpose it once did, particularly since its upgrade in the 1980s when development in the area was high.
“Less residential development, coupled with improvements to other major roads, has led to this traffic reduction and it is anticipated that fewer than 10,000 vehicles a day will use this road by 2031.”
