Length:

151 km (Perth to Osborne Park: 10 km)

Termini:

Northern: Romeo Rd (unnumbered), Alkimos

Southern: Forrest Highway (former Old Coast Road) (NR1), Lake Clifton

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Perth, West Perth, Northbridge, Leederville, West Leederville, Glendalough, Mount Hawthorn, Osborne Park and Stirling

Current: 2

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

H016 (Perth to Alkimos)

General Information:

The Forrest Highway, Kwinana Freeway and Mitchell Freeway, 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. This runs from The Spectacles to Perth, then from West Perth to Butler. The Mitchell Freeway at Nowergup features a railway stabling yard and depot in the median.

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

The section of State Route 2 south of Baldivis involved the design and construction of 70.5 kilometres of dual carriageway. The route was constructed as a single project and extended the dual carriageway from Safety Bay Road in Baldivis, around the eastern side of the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary to join the existing dual carriageway on Old Coast Road at Lake Clifton.

The route was constructed to freeway standard from Safety Bay Road to South Yunderup, a distance of 32 kilometres. The remainder of the route, 38 kilometres, was initially be built as a rural highway, with the ability to upgrade it in the future as traffic demands increase. The route links Perth and the South West, bypassing the heavily populated areas in Mandurah and the Dawesville Peninsula, and avoiding inland communities on the existing highway.

As part of the work, five interchanges were constructed at Safety Bay Road, Karnup Road, Paganoni Road, Lakes Road and Pinjarra Road. Nine intersections were constructed and have the capacity to be upgraded to interchanges in the future. They are located at Beacham Road, Greenlands Road, Paull Road, Mills Road, Herron Point Road, Old Bunbury Road, Dorsett Road, Old Coast Road and Peppermint Grove Road. In total, 19 bridges were built to grade separate the interchanges and extend the new Perth-Bunbury Highway over the Serpentine River, Nambeelup Brook, Murray River/Pinjarra Road, South Yunderup Road, Murray River floodplain, Harvey River and a number of Water Corporation drains. At the time, it was the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by Main Roads Western Australia.

Mitchell Freeway:

1967 to 1973: construction of the section between the Narrows Bridge and Sutherland Street West Perth commenced - eventually forming the Narrows Interchange.

8 March 1976: Mitchell Freeway extension (1.6 km) from Railway Parade to Vincent Street opened. (Stage 2). ²

2 June 1978: Mitchell Freeway extension (4.8 km) from Vincent Street to Hutton Street opened. (Stage 3). ²

12 December 1983: Mitchell Freeway extension (3.5 km) from Roberts Street to Karrinyup Road opened. (Stage 4). ²

1992: the median strip of widened for the Joondalup railway line. Also, Mitchell Fwy widening to McDonald St completed. ²

1993: Mitchell Fwy widening to Erindale Rd completed, providing three lanes in each direction. ²

Perth to Osborne Park

Lane Allocation Gantry:

Looking northbound at Mounts Bay Road in Perth. April 2016. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

Exit gore ID sign at the Mounts Bay Rd (SR5) interchange in Perth, November 2012.

Image © Paul Rands

Narrows Interchange:

Looking northbound on the Narrows Interchange in Perth. December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:

Very old freeway green supplemental AD sign at the Narrows Interchange in Perth, requesting motorists to "Weave Left” to access Hay Street. Also note the 'tail' on the letter 'y', something that is not used on newer signs. February 2008. This sign has since been replaced.

Image © Paul Rands

Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:

Old freeway green supplemental AD sign at the Narrows Interchange in Perth, for access to Hay Street. Also note the 'tail' on the letter 'y', something that is not used on newer signs. February 2008. This sign has since been replaced.

Image © Paul Rands

Mount Street Exit:

Northbound through the Narrows Interchange at the Mount Street exit, Perth. December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Lane Allocation Sign:

Northbound passing under Malcolm Street, Perth. The 'Exit Only' sign is for the Market Street exit. December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Market St / Graham Farmer Fwy Interchange:

Approaching Market Street and Graham Farmer Freeway at Northbridge. December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Graham Farmer Fwy Exit:

Looking at the interchange with Graham Farmer Fwy (SR8), December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

Approaching Vincent Street at the Graham Farmer Fwy interchange at Northbridge. December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign on Sutherland St, West Perth, April 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Freeway Green Advance Directional Sign:

Freeway green AD sign on Sutherland St, West Perth, December 2012.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

Northbound as you pass under Loftus Street West Perth, December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Vincent St Exit:

Looking northbound at West Leederville. December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Leederville Station:

Northbound as you pass by the Leederville railway station, December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Signs:

Northbound approaching Powis Street in Leederville, December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Powis Street Exit:

Northbound at Wembley, December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Exit Distance Sign:

Northbound AD Sign at Glendalough, December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

Northbound at Glendalough, 1 km south of the Hutton Street interchange, April 2016. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

Northbound at Glendalough, 1 km south of the Hutton Street interchange, April 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Hutton St Interchange:

Northbound through the interchange with Hutton Street, Osborne Park, December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Exit Distance Sign:

Northbound exit distance sign in Osborne Pk.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

Northbound at Osborne Pk as you pass by the signage indicating the next 2 exits. December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Footbridge:

Elaborate footbridge at Osborne Park, connecting Telford Crescent and King Edward Road. December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Osborne Park to Perth

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Stirling for the Hutton Street Interchange. November 2008.

Image © Paul Rands

Freeway Green ID Sign:

Freeway green intersection directional sign at the Hutton Street interchange at Stiring. November 2008.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

Eastbound advance directional sign for Mitchell Fwy on Powis Street at Glendalough, December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

Typical ID signage at on ramps for the Mitchell Fwy. This one is located on the Powis St interchange at Glendalough. December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Exit Distance Sign:

Southbound RD sign at Glendalough, April 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD Sign for the Graham Farmer Fwy (SR8), southbound at Leederville. November 2008.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

Sign listing the Perth CBD exits, Leederville. November 2008.

Image © Paul Rands

Vincent St Exit:

Southbound at Leederville. December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Leederville Railway Station:

Southbound approaching Graham Farmer Fwy, December 2007. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Tim Cole from January 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Variable Message Sign:

Southbound VMS near Graham Farmer Freeway interchange at West Perth, December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Graham Farmer Fwy Exit:

Southbound at the interchange with Graham Farmer Fwy in West Perth, December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Entrance Ramp to Mitchell Fwy:

Southbound entrance ramp to Mitchell Fwy, at the junction with Charles St (SR60) and Newcastle St in West Perth. February 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

NEW Entrance Ramp to Mitchell Fwy:

Southbound entrance ramp to Mitchell Fwy, at the junction with Charles St (SR60) and Newcastle St in West Perth, March 2016.

Image © Terry Siva

James & Wellington St Exit:

Southbound at Northbridge, December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

James St Exit:

Southbound at Northbridge, April 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Wellington St Exit:

ID sign on the southbound off ramp to Wellington St (SR65) at Northbridge, April 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD Signage for Mounts Bay Road, Perth, February 2009.

Image © Paul Rands

Lane Allocation Sign:

Lane allocation sign on the Narrows Interchange in Perth for Riverside Drive and Mounts Bay Road, December 2007. This sign has since been updated.

Image © Paul Rands

Exit Gore:

ID sign at the exit gore, Perth, April 2016. This sign has since been replaced.Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007, featuring a freeway green sign.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Birdiya Dr (SR5) (formerly Riverside Dr) in Perth approaching the ramp to Kwinana Fwy (SR2), November 2012.

Image © Paul Rands

ID Sign:

Interchange gore at the split between Birdiya Dr (SR5) (formerly Riverside Dr) and the Kwinana Freeway Perth. This is part of the Narrows Interchange. December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands