The state election well and truly hit Perth’s south eastern suburbs last week with Mark McGowan visiting several electorates and Premier Colin Barnett announcing the Roe 9 highway extension.
Mr McGowan visited Stockland Riverton on January 12 as part of his visit to 59 electorates last week.
The shopping centre was previously a part of Member for Riverton Mike Nahan’s electorate but following a redrawing of boundaries, it now falls into Member for Cannington Bill Johnston’s electorate.
With Riverton residents impacted by Leach Highway congestion Mr McGowan used the visit to spruik Labor’s alternatives to Roe 8 and the Perth Freight Link.
“Roe 8 doesn’t fix anything, it doesn’t reach Fremantle Port, it puts a toll on a road and that will drive trucks off Roe Highway and onto Leach Highway,” he said.
“The real solution is to start the planning for a new port in Kwinana with road and rail links that get the trucks right out of the metropolitan area.”
On Sunday Mr Barnett announced they would go with a tunnel option to further extend Roe Highway when the Roe 8 extension is finished in 2020.
He said the tunnel option was the most direct route, offered better value for money than a surface route, minimised impacts on private property and delivered higher productivity benefits for the freight industry.
“The tunnel option will run from the Stock and Winterfold roads intersection in Hilton through to High Street, East Fremantle with grade separations at both High Street and Marmion Street then connecting to Stirling Highway, ensuring free flow of traffic,” he said.
“Roe 8 and Roe 9 will remove nearly 7000 heavy vehicles per day from the southern urban arterial road network.
“Together they will also allow heavy vehicles and other road users to bypass the 14 sets of traffic lights now on Leach Highway and Stock Road, creating a safer environment for all road users.”
There was no announcement on how traffic would cross the river to Fremantle Port.
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