Will Freeway Merge Lines Help Ease Perth Traffic?

Will Freeway Merge Lines Help Ease Perth Traffic?

Brought to you by
adventure-kings-logo

Will new freeway merge marking lines help ease Perth traffic?

A fix to Perth’s famous merging issue is here, thanks to millions of dollars worth of new paint.

The WA government will spend $8.5 million to upgrade and paint more line markings on our roads in a new effort to ease Perth traffic congestion.

From a statement sent to Perth media last week:

“The improvements will take place at all on-ramps to the Kwinana and Mitchell freeways and at five off-ramps,” Transport Minister Nalder said.

“At on-ramps, the improvements involve using a better defined merge line between the on-ramp and the freeway traffic lanes that improves merging behaviour.”

See Also: How to Merge in Perth

At the five off-ramps the merge will be removed completely to create an exclusive exit lane. This has already been put in place at Hutton Street, and has helped ease congestion.

The changes to the merge follows a recent Main Roads trial of different merge-line treatments to on-ramps. This resulted in consistently fewer ‘merge events’ where drivers swerved or braked. It has also reduced vehicle queue lengths on the on-ramps by up to 50 metres.

merging

The Minister said the works would start on the Kwinana Freeway, beginning in July.

All 45 on-ramp locations on Mitchell and Kwinana freeways will be completed in 2015-16 and the remaining 32 locations on Reid, Roe and Tonkin highways will be finished by mid-2017.

Will $8.5 million in new road lines help ease the traffic in Perth ? Will Perth drivers finally learn how to merge?

Join the conversation at @tweetperth #PerthMerge

Main Roads: How to Merge

Video: How to Merge, by WA Police

What does Perth have to say so far about the topic?