WA Labor has committed to put $350 million toward an expansion of the Kwinana Freeway between Roe Highway and Mortimer Road, in a bid to ease congestion in a region of high activity.
WA Labor has committed to put $350 million toward an expansion of the Kwinana Freeway between Roe Highway and Mortimer Road, in a bid to ease congestion in a region of high activity.
In an announcement today, Premier Roger Cook said the government would commit to major road works along the southern stretch of the freeway if re-elected at the March ballot.
The project would expand the Kwinana Freeway, adding a third lane in both directions between Russell and Mortimer roads, and a fifth lane southbound between Roe Highway and Berrigan Drive.
A fourth northbound lane would be added between Russell Road and Beeliar Drive and smart freeway ramp signals added between Safety Bay Road and Roe Highway.
The project is conditional on the willingness of the federal government to stump up an additional $350 million, with an overall projected cost of $700 million.
In a release, the state government said the stretch of freeway between Russell and Mortimer roads generally supported between 10,000 and 15,000 heavy vehicles each day.
It expects the investment to add around 50 per cent capacity to the upgraded sections of the Kwinana Freeway, noting the congestion issues which frustrate motorists and slow freight movement.
“I’ve lived here since 2009, and look, I’ve driven that stretch of the freeway literally thousands of times,” Premier Roger Cook said, denying in jest a conflict of interest as the member for the area.
“Like so many West Aussies in this part of the world, we are immensely frustrated with the pinch points that happen between Mortimer Road and Russell Road.”
Subject to an election win, state and federal funding commitments and subsequent follow-through, WA Labor expects the work to start in 2028, and complete in 2030.
The investment announcement comes amid an expected infrastructure squeeze along the Western Trade Coast.
Local governments and businesses have warned of congestion in the area for years, as investment and activity scale up at Garden Island under the AUKUS arrangement, industrial projects kick off and with the Westport development in the distance.
Mr Cook said today’s announcement would support the development of the Western Trade Coast by ensuring efficient freight movement to and from Kwinana.
Last week, the Kwinana Industries Council and the Chamber of Minerals and Energy issued a call for the state to prioritise upgrades in the area.
Today’s announcement delivers a solution to some of the congestion concerns flagged in the state’s own Western Trade Coast infrastructure strategy, released last year.
But Liberal candidate for Rockingham Hayley Edwards hit out on social media, claiming the announcement ignored the Rockingham area.
“The current proposal leaves a critical portion of the freeway untouched, stopping several kilometers north of Safety Bay Road, which means the severe congestion problem will persist,” she said.
“The explosive growth in Baldivis, coupled with anticipated population surges from AUKUS-related developments, demands that the widening extend all the way to Safety Bay Road.
“Anything less is a temporary fix, effectively shifting the bottleneck further south instead of truly addressing the issue.”
The state and federal governments will this year joint-fund studies exploring road options at Rockingham, as well as the environmental and heritage impacts of a proposed highway between Garden Island and Rockingham.
Today’s announcement is one among a flurry of election promises made by all parties this week, as the campaigns heat up ahead of the election on March 8.
Treasurer Rita Saffioti said WA Labor had so far promised $1.4 billion worth of spending across recurrent and capital spending over the budget’s forward estimates.
She claimed the WA Liberal and National parties had so far committed to promises worth $7.5 billion across the forward estimates between them – according to Labor’s internal calculations.
