Five new freeway exit lanes to aid traffic flow

• $2.5 million congestion-busting project to help improve traffic flow
• Five dedicated exit lanes to be created on Perth freeways
• The first two on Kwinana Freeway open this month

Linemarking for five new dedicated exit lanes are being added to Perth's freeways as part of the State Government's congestion-busting efforts.

Transport Minister Dean Nalder said the first exit lane opened this weekend on Kwinana Freeway at the southbound exit to South Street, and another was due to open on the northbound exit to Leach Highway from October 25.

Under the $2.5 million project, three dedicated exit lanes are being added on the Mitchell Freeway, at the northbound exit to Hay Street, southbound exit to Hutton Street and the southbound exit to Cedric Street.

"This means drivers who want to leave the freeway will have their own dedicated exit lanes, allowing traffic to run more smoothly," Mr Nalder said. "This allows through-traffic to flow and reduces 'pinch-point' congestion associated with merging two lanes into one."

Exiting the freeway can be a daunting task for some, resulting in significant traffic disruptions as drivers try to change lanes to position themselves correctly.

To ease some of the confusion and make exiting easier, Main Roads has analysed major conflict points along the freeway and identified opportunities to provide dedicated exit lanes at five key locations.

An initiative of the Traffic Congestion Management Program, the new clearly marked exit lanes will remove merge points to allow traffic to exit the freeway without causing disruption to the flow of traffic.

Research has shown that this type of treatment improves traffic flow by reducing the need for vehicles to merge after an off-ramp.  An example of the dedicated lane can be seen on Mitchell Freeway northbound at Hutton Street where it has resulted in free-flowing traffic along this section of the freeway.

Drivers are encouraged to move into the appropriate lanes early to allow through-traffic to flow without disruption.

Fact File

• Cost includes resurfacing some intersections, traffic management for night work, line marking and new signage
• A total of $8.5 million is being spent this year to improve merge lines and add exit lanes as part of the State Government's $40 million congestion package

Minister's office - 6552 6400

Leach Highway and South Street off ramps.pdf