Works on $89M Mitchell and Kwinana Fwy upgrades underway

Works have begun on Perth’s Mitchell and Kwinana freeways to improve safety and travel times, with more than $89 million invested across the two projects.

The Kwinana Freeway project aims to improve travel times by up to 15 minutes in the morning peak, with a target improvement of up to nine minutes on the Mitchell Freeway at the same time period.

The upgrades include the Cedric Street to Vincent Street widening and the final section of the Kwinana Freeway—Russell Road to Roe Highway widening projects.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said the Mitchell Freeway would add seven kilometres of lane and four continuous southbound freeway lanes, reducing congestion through the area and upgrading the road network for the future.

“These freeway upgrades projects are part of the state government’s wider job-creating investment into WA road projects and I’m pleased we’ve been able to get work underway in a short space of time,” Mr McGowan said.

“We have contributed $186 million towards the transformation of Perth freeways which includes these two projects, the Smart Freeways initiative, the Manning Road on ramp and state-funded Hutton to Cedric Street upgrade.

“These along with the $100 million Murdoch Drive in Perth’s south will benefit Western Australians, enhance productivity and support economic development by improving access to key commercial and industrial precincts.”

Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said thousands of people across Perth would benefit from the improvements.

“The Mitchell and Kwinana Freeway upgrades will increase freight efficiency and improve access to services and employment hubs,” Mr Tudge said.

WA Minister for Transport Rita Saffioti said the Kwinana Freeway project would boost the local economy and was part of the state government’s plan to ease congestion, improve roads and save motorists time.

“The Kwinana Freeway Widening project will add eight kilometres of additional lane and provide capacity for an extra 1800 vehicles per hour, improving traffic flow for those commuting to the CBD or our northern suburbs,” Ms Saffioti said.

Around $40 million has been jointly invested into the Mitchell Freeway Cedric Street to Vincent Street widening project, with the federal government committing $32 million and the WA Government committing $8 million.

The $49 million Kwinana Freeway—Russell Road to Roe Highway widening project has also been jointly funded by the federal and WA Governments, with the federal government investing $39.2 million and the state government committing $9.8 million.

Both projects are expected to be completed by late 2019.