Federal Member for Burt Matt Keogh said he was glad progress was being made fixing Kelmscott’s Denny Avenue intersection after years of stalling on the project.
Mr Keogh said he had been campaigning to have the area overhauled since before he entered politics and was glad the “terrible traffic snarl” would finally be resolved.
“It is one of the most dangerous level crossings in Australia and one of the most dangerous roads – and it’s only 200 metres long,” he said.
He said he was glad the Federal Government was taking WA seriously.
This month the Turnbull and McGowan governments agreed on a funding package as part of the Federal Government’s 2017-18 budget, which will see more than $1.6 billion come to Western Australia for road and rail infrastructure.
The State Government also said it would commit $745 million for road and rail work.
The money had been earmarked by the Federal Government for work on the cancelled Perth Freight Link project under the previous state government.
After Labor’s win the freight link was scrapped and despite Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull previously saying money for the project would not be reallocated to different works, he acquiesced from that stance for the new budget.
As part of the road and rail funding $62 million was earmarked for upgrades to Denny Avenue, which had been investigated as early as 2002.
The State Government will work with the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, residents, businesses, local council and members to determine the best solution to the intersection.
A transport study initiated by the MRA identified 11 options for redeveloping the intersection but it had not yet been decided whether the rail or road would go underground or if a bridge would be built.
The 2002 proposal to close the intersection and build an underpass further south between Davis Road and Third Avenue was recommended as the best solution at the time.
Federal shadow minister for transport Anthony Albanese joined Mr Keogh in Perth and said he was glad to hear the upgrades would be going ahead.
Denny Avenue is just part of a series of upgrades planned for Perth’s southeast including widening Armadale Road, building the Armadale Road Bridge, extending the Thornlie Railway Line to Cockburn Station and extending the Armadale rail line to Byford.
