Congestion busting relief is in sight for Perth's eastern suburbs, with a contract awarded for the design and construction of a new interchange at Roe Highway and Kalamunda Road.
Georgiou Group have been awarded the $51 million contract following a competitive tender process in late 2018.
Detailed design of the project is currently underway, with construction anticipated to begin in late 2019. Completion is scheduled for early 2021.
Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said the new interchange was another essential component for the Morrison Government's landmark investment in Western Australia's road and rail infrastructure.
"This interchange will bust congestion and improve traffic flow and freight efficiency on what is a strategic route across Perth's eastern suburbs," Mr Tudge said.
Minister for Transport and Planning Rita Saffioti said with NorthLink and New Lord Street close to completion, and the Reid Highway Dual Carriageway project underway, our road improvement program in Perth's eastern suburbs is gathering pace.
"This project will address congestion and improve journey times through one of the last remaining signalised intersections on Roe Highway," Ms Saffioti said.
"The current intersection is a safety and congestion blackspot, and this upgrade will go a long way towards improving safety for residents in Kalamunda and the foothills of Perth."
This will be closely followed by the now fully-funded interchange at the intersection of Great Eastern Highway Bypass, which is currently undergoing project development.
The project will see Roe Highway lowered by approximately nine metres to pass beneath Kalamunda Road, minimising noise and visual intrusion for residents in the surrounding area. Connectivity between the two roads will be retained through two roundabouts on Kalamunda Road as well as on and off-ramps to the highway.
A Principal Shared Path (PSP) will be constructed on the eastern side of the highway, with local connectivity provided for pedestrians and cyclists. Following an additional State Government funding commitment in March 2019, this path will extend to Berkshire Road, completing a missing link in the PSP network along Roe Highway.
New drainage, street lighting and other supplementary works will complete the interchange.
With connections to almost all of Perth's important road corridors, Roe Highway is a fundamental link for the movement of people and goods. Almost 60,000 vehicles pass through this intersection each day, and up to 14 per cent of these are heavy vehicles.
This project will eliminate one of the last remaining signalised intersections on the highway, which is heavily congested and has a higher than average number of crashes.
Although some clearing of non-native vegetation is required to accommodate the project, Main Roads has amended the road geometry on Kalamunda Road to retain a large jarrah tree, estimated to be over 250 years old. Upon completion of the project, the tree will be located in the road median for the appreciation of current and future generations.
The project is one of the 18 projects announced as part of the $2.3 billion 'Boosting Jobs, Busting Congestion' infrastructure package announced in May 2017.
