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Impact study finds future Joondalup Dve and Wanneroo Rd interchange could divert school traffic

Lucy JarvisWanneroo Times

THE future interchange at Joondalup Drive and Wanneroo Road is likely to divert school traffic to Clarkson Avenue and Waldburg Drive, according to a traffic impact study.

The Metropolitan Road Improvement Alliance (MRIA) 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, the results of which were tabled at the City of Wanneroo’s January 30 council briefing session.

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The plan is to create a graded intersection, with a Joondalup Drive bridge passing over Wanneroo Road, where a roundabout will be built.

“This project would have an impact on a number of intersections along Joondalup Drive and Wanneroo Road,” the City’s assets director Harminder Singh said.

Mr Singh said the interchange should “operate satisfactorily based on the modelling they have done” but the Drovers Place junction would have to change due to its proximity to the ramp to the bridge.

“When this grade separation occurs, this will become left in, left out,” he said.

Mr Singh said the St Stephens Crescent junction would be “severely impacted” and the safest solution was to reconfigure it for left-in, left-out turns.

“There will be no right-out, no right-in – this will have an impact on traffic movement in this pocket of Tapping,” he said.

A January 2018 concept plan for the Wanneroo Road-Joondalup Drive interchange.
Camera IconA January 2018 concept plan for the Wanneroo Road-Joondalup Drive interchange. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

The director said people would probably use Clarkson Avenue off Wanneroo Road or Waldburg Drive off Joondalup Drive to access schools in Tapping during peak periods.

He said as the Public Transport Authority would divert a bus route to Clarkson Avenue, that junction would require an upgrade, with traffic signals proposed.

Mr Singh said there would only be “some impact” on the Waldburg and Houghton Drive junctions, which would not need modifications before 2031.

He said Cheriton Drive would need modifications and Main Roads was likely to only support a roundabout, not traffic signals.

A report due to be considered by the council on Tuesday recommends that the City ask Main Roads to include the upgrades to the Cheriton Drive and Clarkson Avenue junctions as part of the interchange project.

Mayor Tracey Roberts asked what the implications would be if the State Government refused to fund those upgrades.

Mr Singh said it would have a “serious” impact as the City did not have the funding or scope to do the upgrades itself.

Mrs Roberts foreshadowed an amendment to ask the State Government to hold a public meeting as soon as possible.

“There’s a lot of angst and frustration in the community – that information would be helpful to them,” she said.

Councillor Dot Newton said the current plans looked like “an absolute dog’s breakfast”.

According to the Main Roads website, MRIA invited tenders from four companies to design and build the interchange in mid-January.

“BMD Constructions Pty Ltd, CPB Contractors Pty Ltd, Cut and Fill Pty Ltd and Georgiou Pty Ltd have been invited to tender for the contract following a six-week expression of interest period,” it said.

“A contract award is anticipated in May 2018 with construction to begin in mid-2018. Completion is scheduled for mid to late 2019.”

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