Joint media statement - Congestion busting the Karel Avenue bottleneck

Another notorious bottleneck will be eliminated from Perth's southern suburbs with construction starting on the $28.7 million Karel Avenue upgrade.

Karel Avenue Bridge over Roe Highway will be widened to create a dual carriageway, connecting at the roundabouts for on- and off-ramps.

The widening and lengthening of the Karel Avenue Bridge over freight railway lines, located immediately south of Roe Highway will also help facilitate the future METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link.

In addition funding from the City of Cockburn and Jandakot Airport Holdings will allow for the project to widen Karel Avenue from Farrington Road to Berrigan Drive.

Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said the upgrade would vastly improve access to Roe Highway and Kwinana Freeway for people living in Leeming and Bull Creek.

"This is going to get rid of a frustrating and potentially dangerous bottleneck south of Farrington Road, where two lanes currently merge into one," Mr Tudge said.

"It will create better access to the Jandakot Industrial Area, which is expected to support more than 8,000 jobs and 300 businesses when fully developed."

The Karel Avenue project was one of 18 projects agreed to in the Commonwealth-State $2.3 billion "boosting jobs, busting congestion" funding arrangement announced in May 2017.

Western Australian Minister for Transport and Planning Rita Saffioti said the Karel Avenue Upgrade was one of seven new road projects to be constructed in Perth's south aimed at enhancing transport efficiency and safety by busting congestion on our road network.

"The combined projects will deliver increased capacity to remove congestion at known pinch points such as Karel Avenue and Cockburn Central, improving access to commercial hubs and medical facilities.

"These projects support other major transport infrastructure improvements such as the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link, to provide better options for commuters and those travelling in the southern suburbs on a daily basis."

Federal Member for Tangney Ben Morton said a travel time saving of 70% in morning and afternoon peaks was forecast once the project is complete, compared to 2017 and 2020 forecast traffic data.

"Of the 142 recorded crashes between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2016, about 60 percent were recorded as rear end crashes," Mr Morton said.

"The project will increase safety across the entire Karel Avenue and Roe Highway interchange."

WA Member for Jandakot Yaz Mubarakai said road safety and congestion busting was consistently at the top of the Western Australian Government's agenda.

"Anyone travelling through my electorate and further south would be aware of the sheer amount of road improvement work happening on and around the Kwinana Freeway," Mr Mubarakai said.

"The end result of improved journey times and better safety is going to be well worth the wait and I look forward to seeing the finished product."

Completion is scheduled for late 2020.

WA Transport Minister's office - 6552 5500