Road Photos & Information: Western Australia: Forrest Highway, Kwinana Freeway & Mitchell Freeway (State Route 2)

Road Photos & Information: Western Australia

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

Statistics:

Length: 140 km (Kwinana Fwy: 73 km) (North Lake to The Spectacles: 15 km)
Northern Terminus: Burns Beach Road (SR87) at Currambine
Southern Terminus: Old Coast Road (NR1) at Lake Clifton
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route: North Lake, Leeming, Bibra Lake, South Lake, Jandakot, Hammond Park, Aubin Grove, Wandi, Mandogalup, Anketell and The Spectacles

Route Numbering:

Current:
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.

History:

1957: Commencement of construction of the Narrows Bridge and first stage of the Kwinana Fwy. 2
1967: Construction of the Kwinana Freeway in inner southern Perth suburbs. 2
3 December 1976: South Perth interchange opened. 6
1975: Additional land reserved for the future extension of the Kwinana Fwy. 3
19 July 1979: Kwinana Freeway / Canning interchange including Manning Road Bridge fully operational. 6
October 1980: Narrows Bridge median lane opened to Northbound traffic. 6
29 March 1982: Narrows Bridge median lane opened to southbound peak traffic, thus becoming a reversible lane. 6
9 May 1982: Mt Henry Bridge and Kwinana Freeway extension (6.5 km) from Canning Bridge to South Street opened. 6
February 1987: Introduction of bus lanes. 2
18 December 1989: Kwinana Fwy bus lane Canning Bridge to city opened. 6
14 July 1991: Kwinana Freeway from South St to Farrington Rd opened. 6
12 December 1991: Kwinana Freeway from Farrington Rd to Forrest Rd opened. 6
November 1991: Kwinana Freeway bus lane extended from Canning Bridge to Mt Henry Bridge. 6
11 September 1994: Extension of Kwinana Freeway from Forrest Road to Thomas Road Kwinana opened on by Kim Beazley. 2
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. 5
12 March 2006: the connection of the Roe Highway Stage 7, from South Street to the Kwinana Freeway, officially opened to traffic. 6
December 2006: Works commence on the Kwinana Freeway Extension from Safety Bay Road (SR18) Interchange at Baldivis to Pinjarra Road at North Yunderup. 7
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. 6
10 August 2011: Major construction work began to add two new lanes to the Kwinana Freeway between the Leach and Roe highways. 8

The Spectacles to North Lake		North Lake To The Spectacles
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Distance Sign: RD sign at The Spectacles. January 2020. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		RD Sign: Southbound distance sign at Jandakot. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit sign approaching the Anketell Rd interchange, The Spectacles, January 2020. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit sign for Berrigan Dr at Jandakot.April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Anketell Rd Interchange: Northbound at the Anketell Road interchange at The Spectacles. January 2020. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from November 2012. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Jandakot approaching Berrigan Dr interchange, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Exit Distance Sign: Exit RD sign at the Anketell Rd interchange at The Spectacles, January 2020. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Berrigan Drive: Kwinana Fwy (SR2) at the Berrigan Dr interchange at Jandakot, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit signs for Rowley Rd at Mandogalup. January 2020. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Exit Distance Sign: Southbound through the Berrigan Dr interchange in Jandakot. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Roley Rd Exit: Looking northbound through the Roley Road interchange at Mandogalup, January 2020. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on the Berrigan Dr overpass at Jandakot for Armadale Rd (SR14) and Beeliar Dr interchange, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Exit Distance Sign: Looking northbound through the Roley Road interchange at Mandogalup, January 2020. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit signs for Armadale Rd and Beeliar Dr at Jandakot. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Northbound at Hammond Park approaching Russell and Gibb Roads, January 2020. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Exit ID Sign: Sign marking the SR14 exit at Jandakot. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Russell and Gibbs Roads Exit: Northbound at the interchange with Russell and Gibbs Roads at Hammond Pk, January 2020. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on the Armadale Road / Beeliar Drive interchange at Jandakot. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Exit Distance Sign: Northbound RD near in the Russell Road and Gibbs Road interchange at Hammond Park, January 2020. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Exit Distance Sign: Sign detailing distances to the next few exits, southbound at Jandakot in the SR14 interchange. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Public Transport Services Sign: Northbound at Success, December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Exit Sign: Southbound at Atwell approaching Russell and Gibb Roads, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: December 2007, looking northbound at Success as you approach the sign for the Armadale Road and Beeliar Drive interchange. Image © Paul Rands		Russell and Gibbs Roads Exit: Southbound at the interchange with Russell and Gibbs Roads at Atwell, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Armadale Rd / Beeliar Dr Interchange: SR14 interchange at Success, November 2012. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Exit Distance Sign: Southbound RD near in the Russell Road and Gibbs Road interchange at Atwell, January 2009. Image © Tim Cole
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on the off ramp to Beeliar Dr (SR14) and Armadale Rd (SR14) at Success, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit signs for Rowley Rd at Aubingrove. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Approaching Beeliar Drive and Armadle Road Off ramp from Kwinana Fwy (SR2) at Success as it approaches Beeliar Dr (SR14) and Armadale Rd (SR14). Image © Paul Rands		Roley Rd Exit: Looking southbound through the Roley Road interchange at Aubingrove, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Trailblazers: SR14 trailblazers on the off ramp to Beeliar Dr & Armadale Dr at Success. Image © Paul Rands		Exit Distance Sign: Southbound RD near in the Roley Road and Gibbs Road interchange at Aubin Grove, December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from January 2009 by Tim Cole. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on Beeliar Dr (SR14) facing the off ramp from Kwinana Fwy (SR2) at Success. Image © Paul Rands		Distance Sign: RD sign located at Wandi, southbound. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Armadale Rd / Beeliar Dr Interchange: SR14 interchange and exit distance sign at Success, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Industrial Area Exit Distance Sign: Southbound RD at Wandi indicating distances to roads that connect to the Kwinana Industrial Area, April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit sign for Berrigan Dr at Cockburn Central. November 2012. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Wandi, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Berrigan Dr Interchange: Looking north at the Berrigan Drive interchange in Cockburn Central. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Anketell Rd Interchange: Looking southbound at Wandi. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Exit RD Sign: Exit distance sign at Berrigan Dr interchange Cockburn Central. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Exit Distance Sign: RD sign for upcoming exits at the Anketell Rd interchange at Wandi. December 2012. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit sign for SR3, Roe Hwy at North Lake. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit signage approaching Thomas Road (SR21) at Anketell. December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Roe Hwy Interchange: Northbound at North Lake at the interchange with State Route 3 - the Roe Hwy. November 2012. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Thomas Rd Exit: Thomas Road interchange at Anketell. December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Exit Distance Sign: Southbound in the Thomas Road interchange at Anketell. April 2016. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2012. Click here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of SR2 in the The Spectacles to Balvidis areas Click here for the continuation of SR2 in the Perth to North Lake areas

1 Main Roads WA Metropolitan Road Fact Sheet, 31 March 2008
2 State Library of Western Australia
3 Australasian Legal Information Institute
4 National Library of Australia
5 Australian Institute of Project Management
6 Main Roads WA
7 Southern Gateway Alliance Fact Sheet - Project Facts 01
8 DPC Media Statements, Widening of Kwinana Freeway begins, 10 August 2011

Last updated: 24-Jul-2020 23:49

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