Study finds AUKUS to severely impact already struggling Cape Peron road network

Friday, 15 November 2024 10:26

By Monique Welhan

Early morning traffic on Point Peron Road just west of the intersection with Safety Bay road, queuing to get onto the causeway to the base. PIC: Supplied

A recent study commissioned by the City of Rockingham has revealed the road network in the Cape Peron area will be severely impacted by the AUKUS defence project and the ongoing expansion of HMAS Stirling.

The independent transport study, undertaken by Stantec with inputs from Department of Defence, Department of Planning Lands and Heritage, and the City of Rockingham, explored the local road network and the implications that forecast future traffic will have on roads and intersections.

It found the Cape Peron area is already at capacity during peak times, particularly along Parkin Steet.

City of Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamblin said the need for state and federal investment in the local road network is pressing.

“Parkin Street currently carries almost 10,000 vehicles per day. That volume of traffic is causing significant queuing at peak times”, she said.

“Parkin Street is being used as the principal heavy vehicle route into HMAS Stirling and that is impacting residential amenity and causing damage to infrastructure.”

The study shows that if no improvements are made, the Safety Bay Road/Parkin Street intersection and the Memorial Drive/Point Peron Road intersection are projected to fail and have an unacceptable level of traffic in peak hours by 2030.

The City says a potential solution to reduce pressure on the overworked local road network could be the construction of the Garden Island Highway, which has been reserved for that purpose in the Metropolitan Region Scheme since 1975.

The proposed route (blue line) of the Garden Island Highway. PIC: City of Rockingham

For several years, the City has been calling on state and federal governments to progress a feasibility study to determine if the highway is viable or not.

They are also advocating for state and federal funding to upgrade the staggered T-intersection at Parkin Street/Point Peron Rd and Hymus Street to a roundabout.

For more information on the Cape Peron Transport Study click here.

More from Local News