What's happening
Alkimos, here we come!
The Mitchell Freeway Extension from Hester Avenue to Romeo Road opened to road users on 10 July 2023. It includes:
- New freeway access points at Hester Avenue, Lukin Drive, Butler Boulevard and Romeo Road.
- New east-west link with the extension of Romeo Road from Wanneroo Road to Marmion Avenue.
- The duplication of Wanneroo Road from Romeo Road to Trian Road.
- New footpaths, shared paths and Principal Shared Paths, including underpasses.
- A new bridge over the Butler railway
Learn more in the video below from Ben Sims, the Project Manager.
View the project access map here.
Finishing works and road works
Road users will notice construction activities on Romeo Road will continue beyond the extension opening. These works are required to create road connections for future developments north and south of Romeo Road. Intermittent lane closures and traffic management will occur along Romeo Road for the duration of these works. The ongoing works also include landscaping.
Testing and commissioning of new traffic signals along Romeo Road at Benenden Avenue will continue, with traffic signals operating under temporary configurations until the commissioning process is concluded.
The extension of Mitchell Freeway is part of a group of infrastructure improvements, which will support the expansion of Perth’s fast-growing outer northern suburbs of Butler, Yanchep, Alkimos and Eglinton.
This project has extended a critical transport link and provide many benefits to the local community, including improved access and travel times.
Upgrades include:
- Extension of Mitchell Freeway from Hester Avenue to Romeo Road, with two lanes in each direction.
- Interchange at Lukin Drive and widening of the road to Connolly Drive.
- Interchange at Butler Boulevard.
- Connection of Romeo Road from Wanneroo Road to Marmion Avenue, including a new intersection with the freeway, signal modifications at the Marmion Avenue intersection, an intersection upgrade at Wanneroo Road, and a new intersection at Benenden Avenue.
- Upgrade of Hester Avenue interchange.
- Widening of Wanneroo Road from south of Romeo Road to Trian Road.
- Bridge over Transperth's Nowergup Depot access road and realigned the access road to Hester Avenue.
- Rail tunnel under the freeway north of Lukin Drive.
- Principal Shared Path on the western side of the freeway and on Romeo Road.
- Fauna underpass at Romeo Road for the Yaberoo Budjara Trail.
- Pedestrian/cyclist underpasses at Lukin Drive and Butler Boulevard
- Noise and screen walls, safety barriers and lighting.
Construction took place at the same time as the Yanchep Rail Extension. This is part of the State Government's commitment to METRONET. It ensured a coordinated program of works that delivers well-planned transport infrastructure for the northern suburbs and the wider metropolitan area.
Construction Reference Group
The Construction Reference Group was selected to:
- Collaboratively inform the planning and development process for the project
- Assist with the identification of, and responses to, project issues and opportunities identified by project stakeholders to ensure an optimal solution
- Provide a conduit for two-way communication and stakeholder input
- Communicate matters to and from respective organisations, groups and committees
Meeting minutes
- CRG Meeting Minutes - March 2023 - PDF (175 KB)
- CRG Meeting Minutes - September 2022 - PDF (213 KB)
- CRG Meeting Minutes - April 2022 - PDF (675 KB)
- CRG Meeting Minutes - October 2021 - PDF (196 KB)
- CRG Meeting Minutes - August 2021 - PDF (184 KB)
- CRG Meeting Minutes - May 2021 - PDF (465 KB)
- CRG Meeting Minutes - March 2021 - PDF (247 KB)
- CRG Meeting Minutes - June 2020 - PDF (884 KB)
Collaborating with Butler Primary School students and local artists
- Lukin Drive pedestrian and cyclist underpass – Sketches were done by Butler Primary School students and then translated into public art by local artist Minaxi May. They took inspiration from the adjacent Neerabup National Park.
- Butler Boulevard pedestrian and cyclist underpass – Designed by Noongar artist Nathan Corunna along with Darren Hutchens, and inspired by the Whadjuk Noongar people, reflecting the connection between the lake system that runs from Yellagonga Regional Park to Yanchep.
- Two bridge walls at Lukin Drive and Butler Boulevard – Designed by Penny Bovell and inspired from the adjacent National Park, capturing representations of Banksia and Grevillea.
Working with the METRONET Yanchep Rail Extension
The Project received 560,000 cubic metres of material from METRONET’s Yanchep Rail Extension, which created cost savings for both projects, as Yanchep Rail Extension avoided having to store excess material on site or private land, and Mitchell Freeway Extension Project minimised its need to acquire material from external sources.
The material was used to undertake earthworks for the future Romeo Road freeway interchange (to be constructed as part of a future freeway extension).
This agreement significantly reduces the carbon emissions associated with transporting material from across the Perth Metropolitan area.
A more sustainable road network
The project has supported Main Roads in meeting its long-term commitment to deliver a more sustainable road network. Highlights include:
- Installed LED lighting on the freeway and Principal Shared Path (PSP) to improve energy efficiency, lighting output, asset longevity, and to reduce maintenance costs.
- A 20kw solar panel system was installed on the project office roof, which provided most of the office’s power needs over a two-year period, along with power for two electric vehicles.
- Used more than 2.5 million tonnes of recycled materials, including 22,992 eco-blocks created from local recycled construction waste, including crushed recycled concrete. The eco blocks were used in the project’s noise walls.
- Accepted approximately 560,000 tonnes of surplus material from METRONET's Yanchep Rail Extension project to support future works and freeway expansion.
- Exported surplus limestone to the Ocean Reef Marina project for reuse in the marina development.
- Moved approximately 3 million tonnes of earth across the site to raise and lower ground levels. This eliminated the need to export and import material from the project site.
- Achieved an independently verified silver sustainability rating for design, using the Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s Rating Tool 2.0.
Environment and Sustainability Management
A comprehensive sustainability framework was developed to manage the project’s impacts on the local environment.
- Vegetation clearing
- Replanting and revegetation
- Protecting native animals
- Sustainability
Environmental Approvals
We make every effort to minimise impacts on the environment. In December 2019, we sent the environmental proposal to the Commonwealth Department Agriculture, Water and the Environment
In accordance with Section 95A(3) of the EPBC Act, the preliminary documentation for the proposed action was available for public comment from 13 February 2020 to 1 March 2020 inclusive. A total of 3 public submissions were received on the preliminary documentation.
In accordance with Section 95B(2) of the EPBC Act, the preliminary documentation and a summary of responses to the public submissions is now available.
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EPBC 2018/8367 Final Preliminary Documentation December 2019
- EPBC 2018-8367 Preliminary Documentation - PDF (8.15 MB)
- EPBC 2018-8367 Biological Survey Report - Appendix A:
- Part 1 - PDF (2.84 MB)
- Part 2 - PDF (9.49 MB)
- Part 3 - PDF (9.26 MB)
- Part 4 - PDF (8.6 MB)
- Part 5 - PDF (9.41 MB)
- Part 6 - PDF (9.36 MB)
- Part 7 - PDF (7.96 MB)
- Part 8 - PDF (3.95 MB)
- EPBC 2018-8367 Habitat Quality Table - Appendix B - PDF (143 KB)
- EPBC 2018-8367 Dieback Assessment - Appendix C - PDF (3.42 MB)
- EPBC 2018-8367 Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) - Appendix D - PDF (2.33 MB)
- EPBC 2018-8367 Offset Strategy - Appendix E:
- Part 1 - PDF (3.86 MB)
- Part 2 - PDF (6.6 MB)
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EPBC 2018/8367 Referral Documentation
- EPBC 2018-8367 Referral Document with Signatures PDF (1.23 MB)
- CPS 8753/2
- CPS8826/1
- CPS8861/2
Project and construction updates
- Project update - May 2023 - PDF (1.08 MB)
- Project Update - November 2022 - PDF (911 KB)
- Construction Update - May 2022 - Word document (458 KB)
- Project Update - April 2022 - Word document (1.38 MB)
- Constuction Update - January 2022 - Word document (489 KB)
- Construction Update - December 2021 - Word document (704 KB)
- Construction Update - November 2021 - Word document (406 KB)
- Construction Update - October 2021 - Word document (2.5 MB)
- Project Update - September 2021 - Word document (5.36 MB)
- Construction Update - Earth moving - June 2021 - PDF (284 KB)
- Construction Update - Track closures - April 2021 - Word document (671 KB)
- Construction Update - Site depot establishment - April 2021 - Word document (584 KB)
- Project Update - April 2021 - Word document (2.11 MB)
- Project Update - September 2020 - PDF (4.94 MB)
- Project Update - January 2020 - PDF (3.46 MB)
- Project Update - August 2019 - PDF (1.66 MB)
Fact and Information Sheets
- Dust Management - PDF (199 KB)
- Connectivity - PDF (429 KB)
- Nowergup Rail Depot - PDF (180 KB)
- Environmental Management and Sustainability - Word document (875 KB)
- Noise walls - Word document (1.93 MB)
- Construction impacts - PDF (477 KB)
Media statements
- Mitchell Freeway extension to Alkimos now complete - 9 July
- Mitchell Freeway extension to Romeo Road to open next month - 9 June 2023
- Job-creating transformation of Mitchell Freeway now underway - 16 May 2021
- Contract Awarded to deliver fast tracked Mitchell Freeway extension - 11 December 2020
- Mitchell Freeway Extension a step closer with preferred proponent named - 22 October 2020
- Mitchell Freeway extension to Alkimos shifts into high gear - 28 April 2020
- Major Milestone for Mitchell Freeway Extension - 5 November 2019
- Mitchell Freeway Extension to Romeo Road to start next year - 17 March 2019
Videos
- Mitchell Freeway, Hester Avenue to Romeo Road opening
- Mitchell Freeway at Lukin Drive
- Mitchell Freeway - Construction progress view from the sky
Funding
The $232 million project is jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian Governments, each contributing $116 million. The $25.2 million Wanneroo Road Duplication from Dunstan Road to Romeo Road, is also jointly funded by the Australian Government and the Western Australian Government.
pressure off local roads
travel times
access in the area