Road Photos & Information: Western Australia Kwinana Freeway & Mitchell Freeway (Duncraig to Osborne Park)

Road Photos & Information: Western Australia

Kwinana Freeway & Mitchell Freeway (Duncraig to Osborne Park)

Statistics:

Length: 68 km (Kwinana Fwy: 42 km. Mitchell Fwy: 30 km)
Northern Terminus: Burns Beach Road (SR87) at Currambine in Perth's northern suburbs
Southern Terminus: the roundabout with Baldivis Road and Safety Bay Road (SR18) at Baldivis in Perth's southern suburbs, Mitchell Freeway ends at the Narrows Interchange in Perth.
Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: (Mitchell Fwy) Perth, Northbridge, Leederville, Glendalough, Osborne Park, Stirling, Gwelup, Hamersley, Duncraig, Kingsley, Woodvale, Heathridge, Joondalup, Connolly and Currambine

Route Numbering:

Current:
Main Roads WA Internal Classfication: H16 *

General Information:

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, 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 still undergoing massive expansion to this day.

Unique to these 2 freeways is the passenger railway line down the median of the freeway, which in parts also travels alongside other modes of public transport such as buses.

The freeway 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.

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

State Route 2 is joined by National Route 1 at Brentwood from the Leach Hwy (SR7) interchange, forming a duplex through to the Canning Hwy (SR6) interchange at Como.

History (Mitchell Fwy):

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 June 1978: Mitchell Freeway extension (4.8 km) from Vincent Street to Hutton Street opened. (Stage 3). *****
12 December 1983: Mitchell Freeway extension (3.5 km) from Roberts Street to Karrinyup Road opened. (Stage 4). *****
21 September 1984: Mitchell Freeway extension (1.8 km) from Karrinyup Road to Erindale Road opened. *****
6 August 1986: Mitchell Freeway extension to Hepburn Avenue opened. *****
1987: the freeway extended to Ocean Reef Road Craigie.
2 July 1988: Mitchell Freeway to Ocean Reef Road opened. *****
1992: the median strip of widened for the Joondalup railway line. Also, Mitchell Fwy widening to McDonald St completed. *****
1993: Mitchell Fwy widening to Erindale Rd completed, providing three lanes in each direction. *****
2001: freeway extension to Hodges Dr at Joondalup opened.
2 November 2008: $171.5 million extension to Burns Beach Road Currambine opened to traffic by State Premier, Colin Barnett. *****

Mitchell Fwy - Osborne Park to Duncraig (Northbound)		Mitchell Fwy - Duncraig to Osborne Park (Southbound)
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Advance Exit Sign: Approaching Karrinyup Rd outside Stirling railway station. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit signs approaching Reid Hwy (SR3) in Warwick, southbound. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Karrinyup Rd Interchange: Looking northbound at Innaloo. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Lane Allocation Sign: Approaching Reid Highway outside Warwick railway station. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Northbound through the Karrinyup Road interchange, Innaloo. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Approaching Reid Hwy Interchange: Reid Hwy (SR3) exit at Hamersley, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Approaching Erindale Rd Gwelup. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Exit Distance Sign: Southbound carriageway of the Mitchell Freeway as it passes through the Reid Hwy Interchange at Balcatta. Sign is used to indicate distances to the next 3 exits, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Eridale Rd Exit: Looking up the ramp for Erindale Rd at Gwelup, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Advance exit Sign: Southbound advance exit signs at Balcatta for Erindale Road, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Approaching Reid Hwy (SR3) at Gwelup. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Distance Sign: Southbound RD sign at Stirling, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Reid Hwy interchange: Nrorthbound through the Reid Hwy interchage ar Carine, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Exit Sign: Karrinyup Rd (SR76) interchange at Stirling, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Freeway Green Advance Exit Signs: Old style advance exit signs with 90° corners for Warwick Rd, at the Reid Hwy Interchange in Carine. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Cedric Street Exit: Cedric St (SR73) interchange at Stirling, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Beach Road Overpass: Northbound at Carine as you pass under Beach Road, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Cedric Street Interchange: Cedric St (SR73) interchange at Stirling, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Warwick Road Exit: Northbound approaching Warwick Road in Duncraig, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Cedric Street Interchange: Cedric St (SR73) interchange at Stirling, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Northbound at Duncraig, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Cedric Street Interchange: Cedric St (SR73) interchange at Stirling, December 2007. The strange split here is because of the on ramp to the freeway from Karrinyup Road. Image © Paul Rands
	Freeway Green Advance Exit Signs: Northbound approaching Hepburn Av Duncraig, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Stirling for the Hutton Street Interchange. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands
	Hepburn Av Exit: Northbound at Duncriag as you pass through the interchage with Hepburn Av - note the freeway green exit sign, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Freeway Green ID Sign: Freeway green intersection directional sign at the Hutton Street interchange at Stiring. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands
	Hepburn Rd Interchange: Northbound through the interchange with Hepburn Road in Duncraig, outside Greenwood Station, December 2007. Note the freeway green distance sign. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: Eastbound advance directional sign for Mithcell Fwy on Powis Street at Glendalough. Image © Paul Rands
			ID 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
Click here for the continuation of SR2 between Duncraig and Currambine Click here for the continuation of SR2 between Osborne Park and Perth

* Information courtesy of Main Roads WA

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