1. Route description

2. History
    Stage 8 / Fremantle Eastern Bypass  Gateway WA 

3. Future
    Perth Freight Link 

4. Interchanges and intersections

5. See also

6. Notes

7. References

• {{AUshield|S|3}} State Route 3 (All sections)
• {{AUshield|N|95}} National Highway 95 (Middle Swan – Midvale)
• {{AUshield|N|94}} National Highway 94 (Midvale – Hazelmere)

• {{AUshield|N|95|R|1}} Great Northern Highway (National Highway 95 / National Route 1)
• {{AUshield|N|94|S|51}} Great Eastern Highway (National Highway 94 / State Route 51)
• {{AUshield|N|94}} Great Eastern Highway Bypass (National Highway 94)
• {{AUshield|S|4}} Tonkin Highway (State Route 4)
• {{AUshield|S|30}} Kenwick Link (State Route 30)

Roe Highway is a {{convert|35|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} limited-access highway and partial freeway in Perth, Western Australia, linking Kewdale with the city's north-eastern and south-western suburbs. The northern terminus is at Reid Highway and Great Northern Highway in Middle Swan, and the southern terminus is at Kwinana Freeway in Bibra Lake. Roe Highway, in addition to Reid Highway, form State Route 3, a partial ring road around the outer suburbs of the Perth metropolitan area. Roe Highway also forms part of National Highway 94 from Great Eastern Highway Bypass to Great Eastern Highway, and National Highway 95 from Great Eastern Highway to Great Northern Highway.

Although planning for Roe Highway's route began in the 1950s, construction on the highway's first segment only began in 1981, which was opened in 1983, concurrent with the construction of Tonkin Highway and development of the Kewdale industrial area. The highway remains a key heavy vehicle route in the Perth metropolitan area. In the 1980s and 1990s, most of the highway's interchanges with other roads were constructed as at-grade intersections with traffic lights, as were Perth's other arterial highways also constructed during that time. From 2002 to 2006, the {{convert|20|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} section of the highway from Tonkin Highway to Kwinana Freeway was constructed as a continuous freeway, with grade-separated interchanges and free traffic flow, and since 2012 several remaining at-grade intersections of the rest of the highway have been grade-separated. Six at-grade traffic-light controlled intersections remain on the highway today.

Planning provisions have proposed for Roe Highway to be extended from its current south-western terminus in Bibra Lake towards Fremantle since the 1950s. These plans have been controversial amongst conservationist and community groups due to the highway's proposed route through the environmentally sensitive Beeliar Wetlands. The Western Australian state government commenced construction on the first stage of an extension of Roe Highway from Kwinana Freeway to Stock Road (known as Roe Highway Stage 8) in December 2016; construction of the extension was suspended in March 2017 following a change of government in the 2017 state election.

Route description

Most junctions on the highway are grade separated diamond interchanges south-west of Tonkin Highway, and at-grade traffic light controlled intersections to the north-east of Tonkin Highway. The exceptions are at: Great Eastern Highway, a modified diamond interchange with a northbound to eastbound loop ramp; Clayton Street and Maida Vale Road, which are grade separated, but with only northbound exit and southbound entry ramps; and the terminus at Kwinana Freeway, a trumpet interchange. There is a diamond interchange at Tonkin Highway, with the free flowing traffic on Tonkin Highway, and traffic light controlled intersections on Roe Highway at the entry and exit ramps. Aside from intersections, the speed limit is {{convert|100|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} for most of its length.

History

Roe Highway was first proposed in 1955 by Gordon Stephenson as part of what was to become the Metropolitan Region Planning Scheme. The highway was intended to form the southern and eastern sections of a ring route around the Perth metropolitan area.^[1] It is named in honour of John Septimus Roe, who arrived in Western Australia in 1829 and served at the first state Surveyor General of Western Australia for 41 years.^[2]

Work began in 1981, with the first section between the Beechboro-Gosnells Highway and Bushmead Road opening in 1983. The next section, from Bushmead Road to Great Eastern Highway was opened in 1984. The third stage, linking Great Eastern Highway and Great Northern Highway opened on 14 December 1988, at the same time as the Great Eastern Highway Bypass opened. The state Minister for Transport, Bob Pearce was assisted in the opening ceremony by Jason and Rachael Roe, two of the sixth generation of the Roe family to live in Australia and descendants of John Septimus Roe.^[2] The new roads provided a limited access dual carriageway bypass of the historical Guildford and Midland districts that was much needed at the time.

In 1994, the highway was extended {{convert|2|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} further southwards from Tonkin Highway to Welshpool Road. Following 7 years in hiatus, work recommenced, and in 2001 a new {{convert|4|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} southwestern extension known as stage 4 was completed from Welshpool Road to the purpose-built Kenwick Link (an Albany Highway bypass built in 1998) – most of which replaced the overtaxed William Street in Beckenham. Work on the {{convert|3|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} long stage 5 was undertaken simultaneously with stage 4, bringing the highway to Nicholson Road in 2002.

Stage 6, a {{convert|5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} extension from Nicholson Road to South Street was completed in 2004, with stage 7 being announced shortly afterwards. The {{convert|4.5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} stage 7 extension from South Street to Kwinana Freeway was completed in March 2006, at a cost of A$75m, and represents the highway's current southwestern terminus.^[3]

The {{convert|19|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} of road built since 1994 between Tonkin Highway and Kwinana Freeway, is to a freeway standard. It may in the future be upgraded to a freeway classification.

In June 2012, the new grade separated interchange opened at the Great Eastern Highway intersection, allowing free flowing traffic on Roe Highway over Great Eastern Highway. The design includes a northbound to eastbound loop ramp to cater for heavy vehicles, and three pedestrian underpasses.^[4]

Stage 8 / Fremantle Eastern Bypass

Roe Highway was first proposed in 1955 by Gordon Stephenson as part of what was to become the Metropolitan Region Planning Scheme. The highway was intended to form the southern and eastern sections of a ring route around the Perth metropolitan area.^[5] In the 1950s, Stephenson planned for Roe Highway to continue westwards towards Fremantle, through South Fremantle along Marine Terrace and then north to connect with Stirling Highway and the Port of Fremantle. As part of the plan, in 1974 Stirling Highway was extended from its then terminus north of the Swan River southwards to Canning Highway. Over a period of approximately 20 years, Main Roads Western Australia procured land, and in 1985, Stirling Highway was extended southwards from Canning Highway to High Street (the western continuation of Leach Highway). The remaining {{convert|3|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} strip of land south of High Street then became known as the Fremantle Eastern Bypass.

At the southern end of the proposed Fremantle Eastern Bypass, an {{convert|8|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} east-west road reservation was proclaimed, and became known as Roe Highway stage 8. With a change of state governments in 2001, the planned Fremantle Eastern Bypass / Roe Highway stage 8 was cancelled, with a commitment by the government to sell the land reserved for the Fremantle Eastern Bypass. As part of the funding arrangement for Roe Highway stages 6 and 7, the federal government stipulated that the Roe Highway stage 8 reservation was to be retained.

Following a change in state governments in September 2008, planning work has now commenced on an extension of Roe Highway from Kwinana Freeway to Stock Road.^[6] Parliamentary debate^[7] was continuing in 2012 as the state government continued its intention to implement the plan.

Gateway WA

Gateway WA was a $1 billion project that upgraded the road network around Perth Airport. It was, at the time, the largest project Main Roads Western Australia had ever undertaken, covering the upgrade of Tonkin, Leach, and Roe Highways, and the construction of four new interchanges. The project was jointly funded by state and federal governments, which provided $317.5 million and $686.4 million respectively.^[8]

As part of the project, Roe Highway's interchange with Tonkin Highway was be upgraded, noise walls were erected along Roe Highway in High Wycombe, and a new interchange between Roe Highway and Berkshire Road was constructed.^[8] The project was completed in April 2016.^[9]

Future

Perth Freight Link

The Perth Freight Link is a $1.6 billion project to improve the road freight link between Kewdale and Fremantle Harbour. The project includes a {{convert|5|km|mi|abbr=on}} extension to Roe Highway (known as Roe 8), as well as upgrading Stock Road, Leach Highway, and High Street to provide a grade-separated route, bypassing fourteen sets of traffic signals.^[10] The links plan includes mandatory GPS tracking of all vehicles over an as yet undisclosed size or weight with a charge per kilometre being applied for vehicles travelling in the area between Muchea and North Fremantle.^[11] The extension will take the highway from its current terminus at Kwinana Freeway approximately {{convert|5|km|mi|abbr=on}} further west to Stock Road, near Forrest Road in Coolbellup. The proposed route is along or within the vicinity of an existing road reserve in the Perth Metropolitan Region Scheme.^[12]

In September 2015 the group Save the Beeliar Wetlands took legal action against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), arguing that the EPA did not follow its own policies.^[13] Preliminary works began on the project during November 2015, which drew protests with many people being given move-on orders preventing them from being in the area. On 16 December 2015 the Supreme Court handed down its findings: that because the EPA did not follow its published policies as it was legally obliged to, the approval of Roe 8 and the subsequent approval given by the environment minister Albert Jacobs were invalid.^[13]

Interchanges and intersections

See also

• Highways in Australia
• Highways in Western Australia
• Freeways in Australia
• Freeways in Western Australia

Notes

References

• Hepburn, J.A. & Stephenson, G. 1955, Plan for the metropolitan region, Perth and Fremantle, Western Australia, 1955: a report prepared for the Government of Western Australia, Government Printing Office, Perth.
• {{cite book | first=Leigh | last=Edmonds | title=The vital link: a history of Main Roads Western Australia 1926–1996 | publisher=University of Western Australia Press | location=Nedlands, Western Australia | year=1997 | isbn=1-875560-87-4}}
• Main Roads WA
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050308083017/http://www.roe7.com.au/ The Roe7 Project]
• Skyview WA – Department of Land Information, Western Australia

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