Perth’s Mitchell Freeway Transformation Underway

The $448 million upgrade project to the Mitchell Freeway in Perth is now underway. This project is set to support more than 2,200 jobs and provide a major boost to the local economy.

The Mitchell Freeway Extension will see the freeway extended north from Hester Av. to Romeo Rd. costing $232 million and is anticipated to create more than 1,200 local jobs.

Fast-tracked to boost the economy through COVID-19, the project is being delivered by the Mitchell Extension Joint Venture, a consortium of BMD Construction and Georgiou Group.

The project will include:

• New freeway access points at Hester Avenue, Lukin Drive and Romeo Road
• An extension of Romeo Road from Wanneroo Road to Marmion Avenue
• Duplication of Wanneroo Road from Romeo Road to Trian Road
• New shared paths on the western side of the freeway
• Interchange at Butler Boulevard.

On top of this, funding has also been negotiated to enable the duplication of Wanneroo Road from south of Romeo Road to Dunstan Road – this will result in a continuous dual carriageway on Wanneroo Road all the way north to Taronga Place in Carabooda.

Work on the $140 million Smart Freeway project has also commenced and will see the popular technology rolled out at nine entry ramps southbound from Hester Avenue to Warwick Road. The project is anticipated to create and support more than 500 direct and indirect jobs.

The third project will see the Mitchell Freeway southbound widened to three lanes between Hodges Drive to Hepburn Avenue, along with upgrades to the Principal Shared Path for cyclists and pedestrians.

This project also includes the construction of a new lane from Hodges Drive to Hepburn Avenue, an extra lane from Hepburn Avenue entry ramp to Warwick Road exit ramp, new safety barriers and new or upgraded shared paths between Ocean Reef Road to Warwick Station.

All three projects are on track to be completed in late 2023.

The northern suburbs are booming with the population of the region expected to grow by 39 per cent to 395,000 by 2031 and to 740,000 by 2050. The future plans to deliver the infrastructure needed to support these numbers is important, hence the continuous investment in transport upgrades for our northern suburbs to reduce traffic congestion, improve safety and slash travel times.

Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher said the Morrison Government was pleased to partner with the McGowan Government to deliver these key projects.

“Perth’s north-west metropolitan region is growing rapidly, with unprecedented levels of investment boosting the local economy and driving population growth and demand for an effective transport network,” Minister Fletcher said.

“This significant upgrade of the Mitchell Freeway will increase connectivity, improve journey reliability and help alleviate local road capacity issues for commuters.”

The completion of the Mitchell Freeway Extension Project will deliver time savings of up to 15 minutes northbound from Narrows Bridge to Alkimos during the afternoon peak period. While also increasing the freeway’s southbound capacity by up to 50 per cent, leading to shorter journeys for 51,000 motorists daily.

ENDS

Sunday 16 May 2021 – Media Release

Read the Media Release here.

© Government of Western Australia