A smart freeway is due to open in Perth just in time for the holiday traffic.
Operational from 22 December, the Smart Mitchell Freeway southbound will employ more than 1,400 pieces of intelligent transport system technology – including incident-detection sensors and electronic message boards displaying real-time alerts.
Traffic performance data obtained by radars and cameras – the freeway’s eyes and ears – will be used to monitor vehicle flow and volume.
The $200-million-plus project – which began construction in 2021 – has been jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian governments.
“Depending on where they’re travelling from, drivers can expect to save up to seven minutes during morning peak hour, which ultimately means a safer journey and less time spent in gridlock,” said WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti.
Twenty-three overhead gantries have been installed to lower speed limits when necessary and warn drivers of accidents ahead. As well, signals installed on on-ramps will be used to manage traffic flow during peak periods.
Safety measures include emergency stopping bays approximately every 600m – or one bay every 21.6 seconds at a speed of 100km/hr.
More than 190,000 motorists use the Mitchell Freeway southbound every day. It is Perth’s second smart freeway – Kwinana Freeway northbound opened in August 2020.
Smart freeways are also operating along most eastern states of Australia.
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