A string of congestion busting projects across Perth have been given the green-light by the Morrison Government under the $4 billion Urban Congestion Fund.
The Urban Congestion Fund eliminates local hotspots and alleviates traffic headaches across the country.
A number of projects will receive a total of about $40 million and include:
- Widening works on the Mitchell Freeway from Hodges Drive to Hepburn Avenue, and from Reid Highway to Erindale Road;
- Upgrading Gnangara Road to a dual carriageway standard between Henley Brook Avenue and Egerton Drive in Aveley;
- Intersection upgrades at Henley Brook Avenue, Robert Street and Egerton Drive in Aveley
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said the projects would get the people of Perth home sooner and safer.
“We want people to be doing what’s important to them, rather than sitting in traffic,” Mr Tudge said.
“The Liberal Nationals Government have boosted investment in congestion-busting urban projects.”
“These projects also solidify our Government’s firm commitment to ensuring Western Australia gets its fair share of infrastructure funding now and into the future.”
Federal Member for Pearce Christian Porter said the former State Liberal Government committed to widen the Freeway at two critical locations, but when WA Labor came to government in 2017 they scrapped the projects.
“These widening projects would have been finished by now if it wasn’t for WA Labor scrapping the funding,” Mr Porter said.
“I am very pleased the Federal Liberal Government is providing the funds to widen the Mitchell Freeway at two incredibly congested bottlenecks, getting people home to their families faster and safer.”
Federal Member for Moore Ian Goodenough said the investment in the Mitchell Freeway will bust congestion for the people of Moore.
“We want to improve life for all West Australians and these congestion busting projects will do just that.”
The projects build on an additional $1.6 billion of our Liberal Nationals Government’s investment into critical road and rail infrastructure across Perth and regional Western Australia in the recent budget.
More than $13.5 billion has been invested by the Liberal National Government in West Australian road and rail infrastructure since coming into Government in September 2013, including $4.8 billion over the past two Budgets.
Funding for key WA infrastructure projects in the recent Budget also includes:
Level Crossing Removals
- Oats Street/Welshpool Road/Mint Street Level Crossing Removal (Federal Government investment: $207.5 million)
Roads
- Albany Ring Road (Federal Government investment: $140 million)
- Fremantle Traffic Bridge (Swan River Crossing) (Federal Government investment: $115 million)
- Tonkin Highway projects (Stage 3 extension; Great Eastern Highway to Collier Road; Kelvin Road, Hale Road and Welshpool Road East intersection upgrades) (Federal Government investment: $348.5 million of additional funding bringing our overall commitment to those three projects to $929 million)
- Bunbury Outer Ring Road—Stages 2 and 3 (Federal Government investment: $122 million of additional funding taking our overall commitment to $682 million)
Roads of Strategic Importance Initiative
- Western Australian section of the Newman to Katherine Corridor (Federal Government investment: $70 million)
- Western Australian section of the Alice Springs to Halls Creek Corridor (Federal Government investment: $75 million)
- Karratha to Tom Price Corridor (Federal Government investment: $248 million)
- Wheatbelt Secondary Freight Network (Federal Government investment: $70 million)
- Western Australian section of the Port Augusta to Perth (Federal Government investment: $50 million)
- Pinjarra Heavy Haulage Deviation—Stage 1 (Federal Government investment: $22 million)
Urban congestion fund
- Thomas Road and Nicholson Road in Oakford (Federal Government investment: $10 million)
- Transforming Freeways—widening and introduction of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) (Kwinana and Mitchell Freeways) (Federal Government investment: $50 million)
- Lloyd Street Extension (Federal Government investment: $20 million)
- Abernethy Road Upgrade (Federal Government investment: $13.25 million)
- Lakelands Station (Federal Government investment: $10 million)
- Shorehaven Boulevard / Marmion Avenue Intersection Upgrade (Federal Government investment: $2.5 million)
- More Parking Bays at Mandurah Station (Federal Government investment: $16 million)
Major Project Business Case Fund
- Future Road and Rail Connections for Perth (Federal Government investment: $25 million)—to investigate future road and rail links to support the growth of the transport network in Perth
- Westport project (Federal Government investment: $10 million)—development of business cases and corridor preservation to support the Westport: Port and Environs Strategy, which is currently being developed by the WA Government.