Willmott Drive and Grange Drive Intersection Upgrades

Grange Drive traffic treatments

The following traffic treatments and associated works will be carried out on Grange Drive (between Willmott Drive and Gascoyne Way):

• Road widening and pedestrian refuge island between Lyons Court and Murchison Road.
• Footpath connection between the new pedestrian refuge island and skatepark.
• Raised plateau at the intersection of Murchison Road.
• Footpath modifications at the intersection of Arrow Way.
• Raised plateau at the intersection of Cambridge Crescent.
• Kerb replacements and footpath modifications at the Gascoyne Way roundabout.

The footpath connection between the new pedestrian refuge island and skatepark was completed in March 2023.

The earthworks and pavement construction works for the road widening required for the new pedestrian refuge island between Lyons Court and Murchison Road is scheduled to start on 15 May.  All kerbing and footpath works at each of the project locations will coincide with the pedestrian refuge island works.

Asphalt works for the pedestrian refuge island widening and raised intersection plateaus are scheduled for Saturday 27 May.

Traffic management will be in place during the works, with lane closures and occasional road closures to ensure the safety of workers and road users.  A full road closure will be required for the asphalt works on 27 May with signed detour routes.  Access will be provided at all times to residents who are directly affected by the road closures.

Submissions of feedback closed on Friday 21 October 2022 and the plans have been revised. Where traffic treatments are being installed, footpaths, crossings and driveway extensions will be included in the works. This project is supported and fully funded by the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure funding.

Willmott Drive update

The City received 59 responses from residents and business owners. Residents living on Wilmott Drive expressed concerns about accessibility to their properties, the crossovers at the proposed roundabouts and the perception of devaluation of their properties. The feedback in general commented that six roundabouts were too many, and there were safety concerns about drivers speeding while navigating these proposed roundabouts.

According to Main Roads Western Australia’s crash data, all six roundabouts are required to reduce the risk of severity of clashes and improve safety. Based on the feedback received, the City will therefore implement these treatments based on priority. For this project, the total number of roundabouts for construction will be reduced from six to four. The City will then monitor the road for at least three years and then make a decision about the other two roundabouts. The two roundabouts that are not proceeding in this financial year are located at the Willmott Drive and Cambridge Drive intersection and the Willmott Drive and Gibbs Road intersection. To view the final design visit Willmott Drive plans.

Grange Drive update

Six responses were been received for Grange Drive. These responses highlighted businesses being affected by the proposed modification in front of the Supa IGA and medical centre and the congestion at this location due to its proximity to the traffic signals at the Ennis Ave/Grange Dr intersection, which is under the jurisdiction of Main Roads Western Australia.

In view of the feedback, the City has decided to exclude the proposed modification in front of the Supa IGA and the medical centre from the current scope of works and monitor the area for at least three years. If it is deemed that the access restriction at the two crossovers will still benefit the community, then the City will proceed with implementing the upgrades. To view the final design visit Grange Drive plans.

Roundabouts are safe and effective form of intersection control that can be installed on all the identified intersections of the project. They help to reduce vehicle speed and their safety performance is well proven. Their use in this project is expected to be better than other forms of channelization.

The upgrades selected for Wilmott Drive are intended to discourage regional traffic transiting between Read Street and Ennis Avenue from using Willmott Drive and instead redirect this regional traffic to Rae Road, which has been designed for this purpose.

Your driveway position will not change as a result of this project and we will reconstruct your driveway and reinstate your verge and irrigation at our cost.

You will still be able to access your property during construction and we will have traffic management in place to assist.

All existing pedestrian crossings will be maintained and some of these facilities will be upgraded. 

For Cooloongup Primary School: The existing at grade crossing at the Willmott Drive/Westerly Way intersection and the crossing through the underpass (beneath Willmott Drive) will remain.

There will be off-road bike path facilities for bike riders travelling both ways through these roundabouts. Cyclists wanting to continue travelling on the road can also continue to do so by going to the middle of the approach lane.

All existing street lighting at the affected intersections will be upgraded to Western Power standards.

The roundabouts are likely to include non-irrigated planting and a patterned design.

Traffic counts have been taken before and will be taken again after construction to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatments. Additionally, crash statistics over a number of years will be reviewed.

The plateaus are strategically located to ensure that vehicles moving through intersections are travelling at low speed which improves reaction times and reduces the potential and severity of any accidents.  We will ensure the existing crossovers tie-in with the raised plateaus and if re-construction of these crossovers becomes necessary, it will be at the City’s costs.

We will be in contact with you if your driveway will be impacted by a raised plateau. We will extend/modify your driveway, reinstate the affected verge (sand filling with organic mix) and reticulation at the City’s cost. Although having a driveway on a traffic treatment such as a raised plateau can cause some inconvenience, these treatments are commonly used to improve safety on long sections of road.

Residents will be able to enter and exit their properties with the assistance of traffic management during construction.

The existing street lighting at the raised plateaus will be upgraded to Western Power standards.