The official completion of the project means reduced congestion for commuters on the Tonkin Highway, as well as safety and connectivity benefits for pedestrians and cyclists.
Construction on Tonkin Gap began in 2020, and the project was delivered on time despite several project challenges including completing works under live traffic conditions, removal and replacement of the Broun Avenue Bridge and duplication of the Redcliffe Bridge (now Mooro-Beeloo) with minimal impact to the Swan River ecosystems.
In December 2023 the bottleneck on Tonkin Highway was alleviated with additional lanes opened and the speed limit subsequently reinstated to 100km per hour.
Cyclists and pedestrians can enjoy the continuous path between Wattle Grove and Morley on 3.1km of new and upgraded Principal Shared Path (PSP) along Tonkin Highway.
With the PSP between Premier Place and Marshall Road in Ballajura reopened, bike riders and pedestrians are now able to travel uninterrupted from Mandurah to Muchea on the upgraded PSP networks.
Other improvements include new interchanges at Great Eastern Highway and Guildford Road, and new bridges over the Swan River, Dunstone Road, Railway Parade and Guildford Road.
Rail-enabling works for METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line are nearing completion, with Tonkin Highway in both directions between Reid Highway and Collier Road reinstated to 100kmh.
The final section of Tonkin Highway between Hepburn Avenue and Reid Highway will be reinstated to 100kmh in both directions once Malaga footbridge works are complete, expected later next month.
The project’s supply chain involved over 250 sub-contractors delivering packages of work with a focus on local spend and supply, creating more than 3,000 jobs.
The Tonkin Gap Alliance, comprising of BMD, Georgiou Group, WA Limestone, BG&E and GHD, worked with Main Roads and Public Transport Authority to design and deliver the project.
Western Australian Transport Minister, Rita Saffioti, said, “Tonkin Gap is one of the most important road infrastructure projects being undertaken in the Perth metropolitan area and to see it delivering benefits to the community is fantastic.
“Completing this project highlights our commitment to supporting more efficient transport solutions for people travelling through Perth and improving safety, by eliminating the interface between pedestrians, cyclists and cars.
“This has been a challenging program to deliver, so I’m really pleased that it’s been completed on-time and is able to improve travel times for commuters and better connect cyclists and pedestrians across the city.”
Federal Member for Perth, Patrick Gorman, said, “This vital project has removed a longstanding bottleneck where the Tonkin Highway merged from three lanes to two.
“This upgrade is expected to shave up to six minutes off travel times during the morning peak and up to 11 minutes of travel time during afternoon peak.”
Image: Jana Schoenknecht/shutterstock.com
