Perth

The Australian and Western Australian (WA) Governments have announced to add extra lanes to the Kwinana Freeway in south Perth, in order to ease traffic on the Kwinana Freeway and Roe Highway.

The addition of lanes is part of the $62m Kwinana Freeway Southbound Widening Project, which is being jointly funded by both governments, where each government will invest $31m.

The additional works will include construction of four lanes from Roe Highway to Armadale Road.

Western Australia transport minister Dean Nalder said: "Vehicles exiting from Roe Highway will join the freeway in a dedicated lane, without having to merge with freeway traffic.

"This will significantly heighten safety at a critical merge point on the network."

"This will significantly heighten safety at a critical merge point on the network."

Australia infrastructure and regional development assistant minister Jamie Briggs said: "These works will address the congestion and queuing problems that currently occur on both the Roe Highway and the Kwinana Freeway during peak periods and ease congestion on local distributor roads.

"More than 52,000 vehicles use this section of the Kwinana Freeway each day already exceeding its capacity and this figure expected to rise to 75,000 vehicles by 2021.

"This project along with our other multi-billion dollar infrastructure investments such as the Perth Freight Link, Northlink WA and Gateway WA will unlock the economic capacity of Western Australia."

On 11 August, the WA government had appointed Lend Lease to undertake the Kwinana Freeway Southbound Widening Project.

Construction works already started in September 2014 and are expected to be completed by late 2015.

Image: The Kwinana Freeway links Perth and the city of Mandurah. Photo: courtesy of Arno Kohlem.