PRIORITY PRIORITY Five Priorities for Action 1. A Generational Step-Up in Metropolitan Port Capacity 2. Moving More of Perth’s Freight Task by Rail 3. Expanding the Metropolitan Intermodal Terminal System 4. A High-Standard, High-Productivity Road Freight Network to Strengthen the Economy 5. Locking in Measures to Protect Transport Infrastructure Critical to Economic Prosperity Image courtesy of Main Roads Western Australia 58 PRIORITY PRIORITY A High-Standard, High-Productivity Road Freight Network to Strengthen the Economy New and upgraded links to drive jobs, economic growth and build prosperity – road freight network development priorities Highlights The Perth Freight Transport Network Plan articulates Perth’s principal road freight network development priorities over the next two decades and beyond. The principal road freight network is made up of existing and future roads that connect the city’s industrial epicentres, including its ports, airports, intermodal rail freight terminals and major industrial lands. This network will do much of the ‘heavy lifting’ for Perth’s freight task well into the future. The Plan focuses the State’s road freight planning, policy and infrastructure investments on this principal network, and prioritises its integration with Western Australia’s regional road network, to ensure the robustness of the overall freight transport system. When fully developed it is envisaged that the network will comprise: • Two new major north-south corridors in Perth’s north-west and north-east areas – NorthLink WA and the Whiteman-Yanchep Highway, as well as substantially upgraded east-west routes – Flynn Drive, Neaves Road and Stock Road (South Bullsbrook) • The recently completed Gateway WA project, the Perth Freight Link project and the upgrade and southern extension of Tonkin Highway to create a heavy vehicle outer bypass of the metropolitan area • A number of new and upgraded links across Perth’s south-west and inner south-east areas, including the extension and upgrade of Rowley Road; the upgrade of Mundijong Road; the upgrade of Anketell Road; a major grade separation program for Stock Road; the construction of the new Fremantle Tunnel and a new north-south link – the Fremantle Rockingham Controlled Access Highway. This will create a comprehensive road freight grid to service massive industrial land and port development along the city’s south-west coastline within the Western Trade Coast area, including the future container port facilities in the Outer Harbour at Cockburn Sound Much of the principal road freight network will be progressively upgraded to allow access by high productivity freight vehicles, subject to stringent safety and compliance conditions. Key Supporting Actions Immediate Infrastructure Investment Priorities – Perth Freight Link Project The Perth Freight Link Project is an 85 kilometre strategic freight • A new 3.3 kilometre twin 12 metre bore tunnel between route between Fremantle port and Muchea and an essential Winterfold Road and High Street allowing for two lanes and component in the long term planning for integrated freight transport shoulder in each direction for Perth. The project is jointly funded by State and Commonwealth NorthLink WA (planning underway): This project, which will enhance Governments and consists of the following projects: freight efficiency between the metropolitan area and North West of Gateway WA Perth Airport and Freight Access Project (completed): Western Australia, consists of: Completion of the $1 billion Gateway WA project has created • The construction of a new 37 kilometre realignment of the landmark road infrastructure around the Perth Airport and the freight Perth Darwin National Highway to create a high productivity link and industrial hubs of Kewdale and Forrestfield. between the junction of Reid Highway and Tonkin Highway at Roe 8 Extension and Fremantle Tunnel: This project will provide a high Malaga, and the junction of Great Northern Highway and Brand standard connection from the Kewdale, Welshpool and Forrestfield Highway at Muchea industrial hubs to the port of Fremantle Inner Harbour, incorporating: • Tonkin Highway grade separation program including new interchanges at: • A 5.2 kilometre four-lane dual carriageway extension of Roe Highway, from Kwinana Freeway to Stock Road - Benara Road • Major improvements to Stock Road north of Roe Highway - Morley Drive extension with a grade separated interchange at Winterfold Road. - Collier Road 59 Infrastructure Investment Priorities by 2.7m Western Trade Coast Road Development: Development of a high - Kelvin Road productivity freight road grid spanning the city’s south-west and - Gosnells Road inner south-east to accommodate further growth within Perth’s most - Mills Road important heavy industrial and manufacturing area, the Western - Champion Drive Trade Coast, incorporating: - Ranford Road • Stock Road grade separation program to upgrade the primary - Armadale Road connection between the existing container port at Fremantle, the • Tonkin Highway extension with new four-lane dual carriageway future container port facilities in the Outer Harbour and Roe Highway between Thomas Road and Mundijong Road to South Western Extension to freeway standard. New grade separations at: Highway - Phoenix Road Fremantle Port Connect: Completion of the ‘last mile’ of the Perth - Spearwood Avenue Freight Link, extending from Canning Highway to the port of - Beeliar Drive Fremantle Inner Harbour. - Russell Road Full Freeway Standard for Roe and Reid Highways: Tonkin Highway Improvements: Widening of Tonkin Highway to six • Widen Roe Highway to six lanes between Kwinana Freeway and lanes between Great Eastern Highway and Reid Highway to provide Tonkin Highway, together with grade separations, elevating this freight a high standard link between NorthLink WA and Gateway WA. route to full freeway standard along its entire length Development of Tonkin Highway to freeway standard to ultimately • Widen Reid Highway to four lanes between Mitchell Freeway and the form the core component of a heavy vehicle outer bypass of Perth Great Northern Highway with grade separations elevating this freight connected at its northern end to the new Perth Darwin National route to full freeway standard Highway and its southern end, with both Mundijong Road and South Western Highway, incorporating: • Tonkin Highway grade separation program including new interchanges at: - Hale Road - Welshpool Road Infrastructure Investment Priorities by 3.5m Western Trade Coast Road Development: Development of a high • Widening of the existing section of Rowley Road, to a four-lane productivity freight road grid spanning the city’s south-west and dual carriageway, east of Kwinana Freeway to Tonkin Highway inner south-east to accommodate further growth within Perth’s most • Upgrading of Anketell and Mundijong Roads to four-lane dual important heavy industrial and manufacturing area, the Western carriageways Trade Coast, incorporating: Whiteman-Yanchep Highway: A new transport corridor for the • Construction of the new Fremantle Rockingham Controlled city’s north-east and north-west areas incorporating a four-lane Access Highway, a north-south coastal corridor linking to Stock divided north-south road between the NorthLink WA project (south Road and Mundijong Road extension, to provide an alternative of Gnangara Road) and Yanchep to accommodate future traffic freight route and reduce demand on Kwinana Freeway generated from urban development and to connect emerging industrial • Establishment of Rowley Road Transport Corridor as the principal investigation and expansion areas access route for the Outer Harbour, including an 8 kilometre four-lane dual carriageway between the Kwinana Freeway, Latitude 32 Industry Zone and the coast (with provision for an adjacent freight rail alignment at the western end, linking Latitude 32 Industry Zone with the new port facilities) 60 Defining a Principal Road Freight Network for Perth While freight moves throughout Perth’s road network, a substantial The principal road freight network is that part of the larger proportion of current and future metropolitan freight movements are transport network over which the movement of heavy freight will be concentrated on a relatively small number of major road corridors, supported and increasingly consolidated. This includes a general creating, in effect, a principal road freight network for Perth.2 reduction in the number of key freight routes compared to those designated in previous urban planning strategies and land use Through the Perth Freight Transport Network Plan, the Western planning policies, and a general expansion in freight activity on Australian Government’s transport agencies have identified the these key routes including an expansion in the size, length and principal road freight network for Perth. This network is made up weight of heavy vehicles operating on these routes. of the existing and future roads that connect Perth’s industrial epicentres, including its ports, airports, intermodal freight rail The development of the principal road freight network will focus on terminals and major industrial lands. increased heavy vehicle productivity, coordinated land use planning controls and, most visibly, investment to upgrade the capacity of This network will carry the majority of Perth’s freight task in the the network to accommodate increased heavy freight movements. short and long term. Refer to Map 4 for additional information. Network Definition Process Road Ownership