CONTRACT: TNC 8/99
CLIENT:Public Transport Authority (PTA)
TIMEFRAME: Nov 2008 – Feb 2010
LOCATION: North Metropolitan Area, Perth WA
VALUE: $7 million

Project Images

Involved extensive upgrades to existing barriers within a high speed traffic environment adjacent to live rail

The Mitchell Freeway is a north-south, high speed, urban freeway running from the City of Perth to Currambine, with the Butler to Mandurah rail line located between the carriageways.

At the time of construction, this freeway was typically experiencing flows of up to 60,000 vehicles per day.

Highway Construction was awarded the contract by the Perth Transport Authority (PTA) to perform extensive barrier upgrades adjacent to both northbound and southbound carriageways against the rail reserve. Four kilomteres of concrete constant slope barrier and one kilometre of wire rope safety barrier was also installed between Whitfords Avenue and Scarborough
Beach Road to clearly and safely separate traffic from the central rail lines
and stations at various locations along the Freeway.

Works were undertaken in six sections over a period of 15 months between 2008 and 2010.

Traffic management was a critical component of this project as works were located at the centre of the freeway, in close proximity to high speed traffic and a live rail line.

The Traffic Management Plan therefore required careful consideration on the widths and access points for personnel, plant and equipment – with the safe movement of work personnel and road users of paramount importance.

  • Key elements of traffic management and planning for the project included:
  • A permanent lateral shift of one lane to allow a safe working distance for
    plant and equipment over the individual construction periods;
  • Temporary speed reductions from 100km/hr to 60km/hr;
    Installation and maintenance of traffic control devices including barriers,
    bollards (temporary and fixed), VMBs, Arrow boards, temporary whitelining, and signage;
  • Temporary alteration of freeway on / off ramp arrangements; and
  • 24 hour monitoring and surveillance by the traffic control crew over the
    worksites.