Road Photos & Information: Western Australia

Kwinana Freeway & Mitchell Freeway (Osborne Park to Perth)

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 - Perth to Osborne Park (Northbound)			Mitchell Fwy - Osborne Park to Perth (Southbound)
Preview:	Description:		Preview:	Description:
	Lane Allocation Gantry: Looking northbound at Mounts Bay Road in Perth. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit sign for the Graham Farmer Fwy (SR8), southbound at Leederville. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands
	Narrows Interchange: Looking northbound on the Narrows Interchange in Perth. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Exit Sign: Sign listing the Perth CBD exits, Leederville. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands
	Mount Street Exit: Northbound through the Narrows Interchange at the Mount Street exit, Perth. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Vincent St Exit: Southbound at Leederville. 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			Leederville Railway Station: Southbound approaching Graham Farmer Fwy, 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			Cariable Message Sign: Southbound VMS near Graham Farmer Freeway interchange at West Perth, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Graham Farmer Fwy Exit: Looking at the interchange with Graham Farmer Fwy (SR8), 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
	Advance Exit Sign: Approaching Vincent Street at the Graham Farmer Fwy interchange at Northbridge. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			James & Wellington St Exit: Southbound at Northbridge, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Nrorthbound as you pass under Loftus Street West Perth, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Exit Sign: Advance exit signage for Mounts Bay Road, Perth, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Vincent St Exit: Looking northbound at West Leederville. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Lane Allocation Sign: Lane allocation sign on the Narrows Interchange in Perth for Riverside Drive and Mounts Bay Road, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Leederville Station: Northbound as you pass by the Leederville railway station, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Exit Gore: Freeway green SR2 ID sign at the exit gore, Perth, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit 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 advance exit sign at Glendalough, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Exit Sign: Northbound at Glendalough, 1km south of the Hutton Street interchange, December 2007. 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 Exit 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
	Ccedric St Interchange: Northbound through the interchange with Cedric Street, Osborne Park, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of SR2 between Duncraig and Osborne Park Click here for the continuation of SR2 between Perth and North Lake

* Information courtesy of Main Roads WA

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