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Forrest Highway, Kwinana Freeway & Mitchell Freeway (State Route 2) - Perth to North Lake

Statistics:

• Length: 140 km (Kwinana Fwy: 73 km) (Perth to North Lake: 14 km)
• Northern Terminus: Burns Beach Road (SR87) at Currambine
• Southern Terminus: Old Coast Road (NR1) at Lake Clifton
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route: Perth, South Perth, Como, Salter Point, Brentwood, Bateman, Bull Creek, Murdoch, Leeming and North Lake

Route Numbering:

• Current:
• Multiplexes:
• Road Authority Internal Classification: H15 Kwinana Freeway 1

General Information:

The Forrest Highway, along with the Kwinana and Mitchell Freeways, are without a doubt one of the most important road systems in the Perth metropolitan area, and the southwestern part of the state.

Running in a north-south direction, the freeways link the north and southern suburbs of Perth together plus the southern city of Mandurah and the state's southwest, but also act as a coastal link between the northern and southern parts of the state. Built in stages from the late 1950s the route has seen enormous changes / extensions and is continuously undergoing expansion to this day.

Unique to the freeway sections is the passenger railway line down the median of the road corridor, which in parts also travels alongside other modes of public transport such as buses.

The route varies from 2 to 3 lanes wide in each direction, with provision in most of the newer sections to have another 1 to 2 lanes to be added when required. Exits along the route are somewhat close together, this is probably due to the large number of suburbs state route 2 services, south of Baldivis, the spacings are longer.

When first planned, the Mitchell Fwy was called the Yanchep Highway, as its envisaged that eventually the route will connect to the town.

Multiplexes along the route include:

Multiplexes along the route include:

• National Route 1, for 4 km, from the Leach Hwy (SR7) interchange at Brentwood, through to the Canning Hwy (SR6) interchange at Como

History:

• 1899: The first serious proposal to bridge The Narrows was considered in 1899, but the estimated cost of £13 000 pounds caused public outrage and the plan was shelved. 2
• 1901: The Public Works Department prepared a sketch plan for a 900-foot timber bridge with central swing spans to cross The Narrows, but again it did not proceed. 2
• 1954: Main Roads resurrected the concept of a Narrows Bridge due to quickly increasing traffic using the Causeway bridges. 2
• 1956: Cabinet approved a design suitable for The Narrows site and tenders were called for the construction. 2
• 1957: Commencement of construction of the Narrows Bridge and first stage of the Kwinana Fwy. 3
• 1959: Narrows Bridge was officially opened by then Western Australian Governor, Sir Charles Gairdner. Initially, the original six-lane structure was intended to carry about 6,000 vehicles per hour in each direction. Measuring 396.5 m with five spans, the longest span being 98 m, the original Narrows Bridge made history as the largest precast, prestressed concrete bridge in the world. The construction project included 5.4 km of the Kwinana Freeway from the Narrows to Canning Highway, bringing the total cost to £3.5 million. 2
• 1967: Construction of the Kwinana Freeway in inner southern Perth suburbs. 3
• 3 December 1976: South Perth interchange opened. 1
• 1974: More than 77 500 vehicles were using the Narrows Bridge every day. 2
• 1975: Additional land reserved for the future extension of the Kwinana Fwy. 4
• 19 July 1979: Kwinana Freeway / Canning Highway interchange including Manning Road Bridge fully operational. 1
• October 1980: Narrows Bridge median lane opened to Northbound traffic. 1
• 29 March 1982: Narrows Bridge median lane opened to southbound peak traffic, thus becoming a reversible lane. 1
• 9 May 1982: Mt Henry Bridge and Kwinana Freeway extension (6.5 km) from Canning Bridge to South Street opened. 1
• February 1987: Introduction of bus lanes. 3
• 1988: $70million was allocated to duplicate the Narrows Bridge. 2
• 18 December 1989: Kwinana Fwy bus lane Canning Bridge to city opened. 1
• 14 July 1991: Kwinana Freeway from South St to Farrington Rd opened. 1
• 12 December 1991: Kwinana Freeway from Farrington Rd to Forrest Rd opened. 1
• November 1991: Kwinana Freeway bus lane extended from Canning Bridge to Mt Henry Bridge. 1
• 1998: Traffic figures had doubled to more than 155 000, making it the busiest piece of freeway in the nation. 2
• 11 September 1994: Extension of Kwinana Freeway from Forrest Road to Thomas Road Kwinana opened by Kim Beazley. 3
• 1999-2001: Construction of the South West Metropolitan Railway down the centre of the freeway alignment - this was done by relocating 16 kilometres of existing northbound carriageway 15 metres westwards. Also part of the works was the construction of a 12km freeway extension southwards from Thomas Road to Safety Bay Road, including interchanges at Mortimer and Mundijong Road and freeway overpasses at Millar Road. 6
• 25 February 2001: The second bridge opened to traffic and increased the number of traffic lanes from seven to 10 and formed part of a $230 million upgrade of the Kwinana Freeway and its extension to Safety Bay Road. 2
• 12 March 2006: The connection of the Roe Highway Stage 7, from South Street to the Kwinana Freeway, officially opened to traffic. 1
• December 2006: Works commence on the Kwinana Freeway Extension from Safety Bay Road (SR18) Interchange at Baldivis to Pinjarra Road at North Yunderup. 7
• 2007: The Narrows rail bridge was also commissioned as part of the Perth to Mandurah railway service. 2
• 2009: Figures show the Narrows Bridge carries almost 180 000 vehicles every day. 2
• 20 September 2009: Completion of the 70 km Perth to Bunbury Highway project (Kwinana Fwy / Forrest Hwy) - bypassing the heavily populated areas in Mandurah and the Dawesville Peninsula, and avoiding the inland communities on South Western Highway. The route is freeway standard from Safety Bay Road to Pinjarra Road with the remainder of the route built as a divided rural highway. In the future as traffic demands increase, the highway will be upgraded to a freeway standard for its entire length. 1
• 10 August 2011: Major construction work began to add two new lanes to the Kwinana Freeway between the Leach and Roe highways. 8

North Lake to Perth			Perth to North Lake
Preview:	Description:		Preview:	Description:
	Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit signage for South Street (SR13) and Leach Hwy (NR1 / SR7) at North Lake. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Riverside Dr (SR5) in Perth approaching the split to Mounts Bay Rd (SR5) and Kwinana Fwy (SR2), November 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign approaching South St (SR13) interchange at Murdoch, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands			ID Sign: Interchange gore at the split between Riverside Drive / Mounts Bay Road and the Kwinana Freeway Perth. This is part of the Narrows Interchange. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	South Street Interchange: Looking north approaching the South Street exit at Murdoch, April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Mill Point Road Interchange: Southbound in South Perth approaching the exit to Mill Point Road. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	South Street Interchange: Exit distance sign at the South Street (SR13) interchange in Murdoch. In the distance is Murdoch railway station. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Mill Point Road: Southbound through the Mill Pond Rd interchange in South Perth. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Lane Allocation Sign: Lane allocation sign at the South St (SR13) interchange, Murdoch, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit signs for South Tce and Canning Hwy (SR6) at South Perth. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit sign for Canning Hwy at Bateman approaching Parry Av, April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			South Terrace Sign: Several signs along SR2 are hidden behind lamp posts such as this one for South Terrace in Como. April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Leach Highway Interchange: Kwinana Fwy (SR2) at the Leach Hwy (NR1 / SR7) interchange at Bateman, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands			Exit Distance Sign: Sign detailing distances to the next few exits, southbound at Como near Preston Street. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Leach Hwy Exit: Looking northbound through the Leach Hwy interchange at Bateman, April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. NR1 duplex starts at this interchange. Image © Paul Rands			Exit Distance Sign: Sign detailing distances to the next few exits, southbound at Como near Olives Reserve. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Mount Henry Bridge: Crossing the Canning River at Mt Pleasant. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Trucks Sign: Sign instructing truck drivers to use Leach Highway instead of Canning Highway to access Fremantle. December 2007 in Como. Image © Paul Rands
	Exit Distance Sign: Northbound at Salter Point, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Approaching Canning Hwy: Looking southbound in Como as you approaching the Canning Hwy (SR6/NR1) exit. December 2007. SR2 picks up its NR1 duplex from here. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit sign for the Canning Hwy at Salter Point, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Canning Hwy Interchange: Southbound at Como through the Canning Hwy interchange. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Northbound RD near the Canning Hwy interchange at Salter Point, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Canning Hwy Interchange: Southbound at Como through the Canning Hwy interchange. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Canning Hwy Interchange: Northbound at Manning as the NR1 duplex ends here at the Canning Hwy interchange, November 2012. Image © Paul Rands			Manning Road Interchange: Kwinana Fwy at Como at the Manning Rd (SR26) interchange, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on the Canning Hwy off ramp from Kwinana Fwy at Manning, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands			Lane Allocation Sign: Lane allocation sign on the interchange with Canning Hwy (SR6), Manning Rd (SR26) and Kwinana Fwy (SR2) at Como, November 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Lane Allocation Sign: Lane allocation sign on the Canning Hwy off ramp from Kwinana Fwy at Manning, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands			Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the interchange with Canning Hwy (SR6), Manning Rd (SR26) and Kwinana Fwy (SR2) at Como, November 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the Canning Hwy off ramp from Kwinana Fwy at Manning, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands			Manning Road Interchange: The interchange with Manning Road, Como. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Looking northbound at the footbridge in Como. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Exit Distance Sign: Looking southbound on the section of the freeway that opened in 1982 at Como. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Lane Allocation Gantry: Looking northbound in South Perth as you pass under the signs for Mounts Bay Rd, Hay St and the bus lane, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Distance Sign: RD sign at Salter Point after the interchange with Canning Hwy (SR6) and also Manning Road, April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Mill Point Road Exit: Northbound in South Perth at the Mill Point Rd interchange. December 2012. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit sign for the Leach Hwy at Salter Point. December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
				Canning River: Crossing the Canning River via the Mount Henry Bridge at Salter Point. December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
				Cranford Av Exit: Cranford Av interchange at Mount Pleasant. December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
				Leach Hwy Interchange: Southbound approaching the Leach Hwy exit, the NR1 duplex ends here in Brentwood. December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
				Exit Distance Sign: Exit RD sign located in the interchange with Leach Hwy at Brentwood. December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit signage for the South Street (SR13) and Farrington Road interchanges at Bull Creek. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from November 2012. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				South Street Interchange: Kwinana Fwy (SR2) at the South St (SR13) interchange at Bull Creek, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
				South Street Interchange: Looking southbound through the South Street interchange. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Advance Directional Signs: Looking southbound at Bull Creek outside Murdoch railway station and as you pass under South Street. December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Bull Creek approaching the Farrington Rd interchange, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
				Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Bull Creek near the Farrington Rd interchange for Roe Hwy (SR3) and Berrigan Dr (SR14), April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Farrington Rd Interchange: Southbound at Leeming at the interchange with Farrington Road. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
				Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Leeming approaching Roe Hwy (SR3) interchange, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
				Roe Hwy Interchange: Looking southbound at Leeming as you approach the Roe Hwy interchange. December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of SR2 in the North Lake to The Spectacles areas Click here for the continuation of SR2 in the Perth to Osborne Park areas

1 Main Roads WA
2 DPC Media Statements, Perth’s Narrows Bridge celebrates 50 years, 13 November 2009 3 State Library of Western Australia
4 Australasian Legal Information Institute
5 National Library of Australia
6 Australian Institute of Project Management
7 Southern Gateway Alliance Fact Sheet - Project Facts 01
8 DPC Media Statements, Widening of Kwinana Freeway begins, 10 August 2011

Last updated: 23-Jan-2019 10:13

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