WANNEROO Mayor Tracey Roberts will “implore” Main Roads WA to hold a public meeting about interchange plans for the intersection of Wanneroo Road and Joondalup Drive.
At the council meeting on Tuesday, Mrs Roberts successfully moved an amendment to the staff recommendation, asking the State department to hold the meeting.
She said she attended the Carramar and Tapping Residents’ Association meeting the night before, where the community’s “frustration” was clear, with people concerned about how the project would affect local roads.
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READ NOWCouncillors Samantha Fenn and Paul Miles agreed that there was a lot of concern about the level of public engagement so far.
“The community has not been told how the process is going to come about,” Cr Miles said.
Tapping resident Mark Carruthers spoke during public question time, echoing the call for a public meeting.
“The majority of residents don’t want the overpass,” he said.
He submitted written questions highlighting his concerns, including a “lack of consultation” and “no planning” for the affected intersections.
The council agreed to write to the Transport Minister and Main Roads asking it to incorporate upgrades to the junctions of Joondalup Drive and Cheriton Drive, as well as Wanneroo Road and Clarkson Avenue, into the project.
The Metropolitan Road Improvement Alliance is undertaking planning and development for the $50 million project on behalf of Main Roads WA. It has assessed potential traffic impacts on local roads of creating a graded intersection, with a Joondalup Drive bridge passing over Wanneroo Road, where a roundabout will be built.
At last week’s briefing session, the City’s assets director Harminder Singh said the Drovers Place and St Stephen’s Crescent junctions would have to be reconfigured.
Mr Singh said Cheriton Drive would need modifications and Main Roads was likely to only support a roundabout, not traffic signals.
Construction is due to start in mid-2018 and finish in mid to late 2019.
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