The Department of Transport has declared Perth’s first smart freeway officially open, allowing Main Roads’ Network Operations Centre to control the flow of traffic, open and close traffic lanes, and adjust speed limits in real time.
The $56 million Smart Freeway Project is expected to deliver a quicker and smoother journey between Roe Highway and the Narrows Bridge during the morning peak hour.
Historically, traffic entering the freeway from Canning Highway during peak periods has been a major contributor to congestion.
By converting the existing emergency lane from Canning Highway to the Narrows Bridge into an additional traffic lane, this bottleneck is expected to ease.
Minister for Transport, Rita Saffioti said the opening of the Smart Freeway Project, along with a number of other completed projects on the Kwinana Freeway northbound, would see significant improvements in journey times from Rowley Road to the Narrows Bridge.
“This is the first time we have used this technology in WA and I thank everyone in advance for their patience while we get used to this new system,” Ms Saffioti said.
Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure, Alan Tudge said the smart technology would help ease congestion, improve safety and productivity for people driving into the city south of Perth.
“As well as the long-term traffic benefits, the Federal Government is prioritising Western Australia’s economy and job creation,” Mr Tudge said.
“The construction and commissioning of the Smart Freeway Project has injected much-needed funds into WA and generated 245 full-time jobs,” he said.
