The $165 million Stephenson Avenue extension project on the Mitchell Freeway in Perth’s north has been beset by delays and cost blowouts, with speculation that conflicting views among stakeholders have prevented the designs from being approved.
Main Roads and construction giants Acciona, Clough and WSP were given until the end of 2023 to design and build a freeway interchange with a Smart Freeway on-ramp, a bridge over a new road connecting Sarich Court to Cedric Street, and a pedestrian bridge from Stirling station.
The $165 million Stephenson Avenue extension project.Credit: Main Roads WA
The crown jewel in the project was a $90 million expansion of the Stirling Bus Interchange, which is at capacity and expected to experience a doubling in patronage in the next decade.
Both the state and federal government poured money into the project, one of the last to secure funding under the urban congestion scheme before it was abolished in the federal budget.
But eight months after government officials donned hard hats and hi-vis for the official sod-turning, the design works are still not yet finalised.
The extent of the budget blow-out has not yet been quantified, with a spokesperson from Main Roads telling WAtoday it would assess the damage once the design work was completed.
The completion date for the second phase of the project was quietly extended from late 2023 to February 2024 a few months ago, but has now been pushed back to September 2024.
However, a source close to the project told WAtoday that date could be closer to March 2025.
According to Main Roads, the delays were a byproduct of the complex nature of the project, which includes major interfaces with Stirling Station, roads managed by the City of Stirling, and a major drain managed by the Water Corporation.
“The complex nature of several design packages has presented challenges which have been, and continue to be, resolved and finalised across the Alliance,” the spokesperson said.
“Major projects of this nature have contingencies built in to address additional costs, and Main Roads will work with its alliance partners to establish budget impacts once the design work has concluded.”
WAtoday understands delays to the review of designs for the Public Transport Authority’s carpark were the first hurdle for the project.
It is understood the design of the Stephenson Avenue interchange adjacent to IKEA and the relocation of a water main on the eastern end have also been a sticking point for stakeholders.
A Water Corporation spokesperson told WAtoday it was working with Main Roads WA to resolve a number of “complex and technical items” related to the work and expected to reach an agreed solution in the coming weeks.
The news comes just days after the state’s roads authority revealed a design fault was to blame for a $1 million rework of almost six kilometres of freshly laid asphalt on the Mitchell Freeway southbound between Hodges Drive and Whitfords Avenue.
A spokesperson from Main Roads confirmed the road base along the affected section had been laid at too low a depth to accommodate a life-extending seal.
According to Main Roads, the additional works are not expected to “significantly” impact the timing of the new lane’s opening, which was expected in late 2023.
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