Welshpool Road, Perth
Encyclopedia
Welshpool Road is a major arterial road running through the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia
. Although the road is now split in two, having had its West and East sections disconnected due to the extension of Roe Highway
, it remains Welshpool's second most important road (after Orrong Road), and the highest quality access road for the Darling Scarp
.
added after the road's disconnection. The road is typical of those major in the Welshpool Area; although of a reasonable quality, being a 4 lane single or dual carriageway it contains only a handful of traffic lights, is choked by traffic in peak hour, has industrial business dotting the road, and has many minor roads which have no form of control, give way
and stop sign
s excepted.
Welshpool Road West begins as an extension of a west-east section of Albany Highway
(Albany Highway continues to the south of the intersection). Continuting through Welshpool, it meets Leach Highway
soon after. Leach Highway marks the most dangerous intersection for both Welshpool Road and Leach Highway; the intersection is also one of Perth's busiest. It then meets Kewdale Road, passing through outer Welshpool after this point. The final controlled intersection for the road is McDowell street. McDowell street extends north, meets Orrong Road, and then continues into neighbouring Kewdale. Although of importance for barely 300 metres, McDowell Street distributes traffic onto Orrong Road, allowing motorists to continue their journey along Welshpool Road East.
For those who continue along Welshpool Road West, the road sharply turns south after 500 metres, and continues as William Street.
added after the road's disconnection. At a similar quality to Welshpool Road West, its 4 lane section is an entire dual carriageway; it changes to a 2 to 3 lane single carriageway after climbing most of the Darling Scarp
, however. With only 4 traffic lights in total (two of those at Roe Highway's diamond interchange), traffic problems are relatively minor, the only congestion being towards Roe Highway westbound.
Allocated State Route 8, Welshpool Road East starts as an extension of Orrong Road. Soon after meeting Roe Highway, it meets Hale Road. Hale Road serves as the main road for Forrestfield
, eventually passing through a rural Maida Vale
and climbing the Darling Scarp. Welshpool Road then passes through Wattle Grove
, a mostly rural foothill suburb; however, this section is suburban. It then meets Tonkin Highway; this marks both State Route 8 and Welshpool Road's final traffic light and departure from the Swan Coastal Plain
.
After this point, the scenery transitions to semi-rural; however, the quality of the road remains high. After about 2 km, the road starts to climb the Darling Scarp. A short time after this, the median which was previously as wide as 4 lanes thins out dramatically, and becomes negligible. The road continues to climb quite steeply; similar to Great Eastern Highway
the climb is constant, Kalamunda Road
's climb of the escparpment is undulating. Welshpool Road then meets Lesmurdie Road, and finally changes to a 2 lane single carriageway. After this point, westbound traffic is given two overtaking lanes that last for about 750 m each. Finishing its climb in Carmel, Welshpool Road terminates into Canning Road.
was opened in 2000. Welshpool Road, Orrong Road & William Street were the 3 major roads affected due to the extension.
Before Roe Highway's extension in 2002, the highway's north and southbound lanes separated, leaving a 250 m gap between them once they met Welshpool Road. After this, they both formed one lane and came back together, continuing as William Street. Orrong Road would terminate into Welshpool Road in the form of a T-junction.
Due to the extension of Roe Highway, major changes were made. Firstly, Welshpool Road was disconnected; William Street was disconnected from Roe Highway, and Orrong Road was extended to meet Roe Highway in the form of a diamond interchange
. Orrong Road now continues as Welshpool Road East. Welshpool Road West now continues as William Street.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. Although the road is now split in two, having had its West and East sections disconnected due to the extension of Roe Highway
Roe Highway
Roe Highway is a limited access dual carriageway in Western Australia. It links Great Northern Highway and Middle Swan Road with Kwinana Freeway. It is one of the key heavy vehicle routes in the Perth metropolitan area. Aside from intersections, the speed limit is 100 km/h for most of its length...
, it remains Welshpool's second most important road (after Orrong Road), and the highest quality access road for the Darling Scarp
Darling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...
.
Welshpool Road West
Welshpool Road West (5.5 km long), unlike Welshpool Road East, did not have the West suffixSuffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
added after the road's disconnection. The road is typical of those major in the Welshpool Area; although of a reasonable quality, being a 4 lane single or dual carriageway it contains only a handful of traffic lights, is choked by traffic in peak hour, has industrial business dotting the road, and has many minor roads which have no form of control, give way
Yield sign
In road transport, a ' or ' traffic sign indicates that each driver must prepare to stop if necessary to let a driver on another approach proceed. A driver who stops has yielded the right of way to another...
and stop sign
Stop sign
A Stop sign is a traffic sign to notify drivers that they must stop before proceeding.-Specifications:The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals proposed standard stop sign diameters of 0.6, 0.9 or 1.2 metres. UK and New Zealand stop signs are 750, 900 or 1200 mm, according to sign...
s excepted.
Welshpool Road West begins as an extension of a west-east section of Albany Highway
Albany Highway
Albany Highway is a generally northwest-southeast highway in the south of Western Australia which links the state's capital Perth with its oldest settlement, Albany. The highway is approximately in length, is designated State Route 30 and separates Western Australia's Great Southern region from...
(Albany Highway continues to the south of the intersection). Continuting through Welshpool, it meets Leach Highway
Leach Highway
Leach Highway is a major dual carriageway arterial road in Perth, Western Australia, which varies between 4 and 6 lanes wide. The speed limit is either 70 or 80 km/h. It is located south of the Swan River and links Fremantle with Kewdale, a distance of ....
soon after. Leach Highway marks the most dangerous intersection for both Welshpool Road and Leach Highway; the intersection is also one of Perth's busiest. It then meets Kewdale Road, passing through outer Welshpool after this point. The final controlled intersection for the road is McDowell street. McDowell street extends north, meets Orrong Road, and then continues into neighbouring Kewdale. Although of importance for barely 300 metres, McDowell Street distributes traffic onto Orrong Road, allowing motorists to continue their journey along Welshpool Road East.
For those who continue along Welshpool Road West, the road sharply turns south after 500 metres, and continues as William Street.
Junctions
| Allocation | Junction | Suburb |
|---|---|---|
 |
Shepperton Road/Albany Highway Albany Highway Albany Highway is a generally northwest-southeast highway in the south of Western Australia which links the state's capital Perth with its oldest settlement, Albany. The highway is approximately in length, is designated State Route 30 and separates Western Australia's Great Southern region from... |
St. James & Bentley Bentley, Western Australia Bentley is a southern suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, and is located 8 km southeast of Perth's central business district. Its Local Government Areas are the City of Canning and the Town of Victoria Park... |
| Sevenoaks Street | Welshpool Welshpool, Western Australia Welshpool is an inner southeastern suburb of Perth, located mostly within the City of Canning. The area is considered to be one of the main industrial areas of Perth, along with Kewdale, Kwinana, Henderson, Malaga, O'Connor, Canning Vale and Osborne Park.... |
|
 |
Leach Highway Leach Highway Leach Highway is a major dual carriageway arterial road in Perth, Western Australia, which varies between 4 and 6 lanes wide. The speed limit is either 70 or 80 km/h. It is located south of the Swan River and links Fremantle with Kewdale, a distance of .... |
Welshpool Welshpool, Western Australia Welshpool is an inner southeastern suburb of Perth, located mostly within the City of Canning. The area is considered to be one of the main industrial areas of Perth, along with Kewdale, Kwinana, Henderson, Malaga, O'Connor, Canning Vale and Osborne Park.... |
| Kewdale Road/Hamilton Street | Welshpool Welshpool, Western Australia Welshpool is an inner southeastern suburb of Perth, located mostly within the City of Canning. The area is considered to be one of the main industrial areas of Perth, along with Kewdale, Kwinana, Henderson, Malaga, O'Connor, Canning Vale and Osborne Park.... & Queens Park Queens Park, Western Australia Queens Park is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Canning. Its postcode is 6107.-History:The suburb derives its name from the former Queens Park Road Board that was incorporated into the Canning and Belmont Road Boards.... |
|
| Wharf Street | Queens Park Queens Park, Western Australia Queens Park is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Canning. Its postcode is 6107.-History:The suburb derives its name from the former Queens Park Road Board that was incorporated into the Canning and Belmont Road Boards.... |
|
| McDowell Street | Welshpool Welshpool, Western Australia Welshpool is an inner southeastern suburb of Perth, located mostly within the City of Canning. The area is considered to be one of the main industrial areas of Perth, along with Kewdale, Kwinana, Henderson, Malaga, O'Connor, Canning Vale and Osborne Park.... & Queens Park Queens Park, Western Australia Queens Park is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the City of Canning. Its postcode is 6107.-History:The suburb derives its name from the former Queens Park Road Board that was incorporated into the Canning and Belmont Road Boards.... |
Welshpool Road East
Welshpool Road East (9.5 km long) had an East suffixSuffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
added after the road's disconnection. At a similar quality to Welshpool Road West, its 4 lane section is an entire dual carriageway; it changes to a 2 to 3 lane single carriageway after climbing most of the Darling Scarp
Darling Scarp
The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north-south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia...
, however. With only 4 traffic lights in total (two of those at Roe Highway's diamond interchange), traffic problems are relatively minor, the only congestion being towards Roe Highway westbound.
Allocated State Route 8, Welshpool Road East starts as an extension of Orrong Road. Soon after meeting Roe Highway, it meets Hale Road. Hale Road serves as the main road for Forrestfield
Forrestfield, Western Australia
Forrestfield is a suburb of the Shire of Kalamunda in Western Australia. It lies 15 km to the southeast of Perth at the base of the Darling Scarp and the Southern border of the International Airport. There is authority to suggest it is named after Western Australia's first premier, John Forrest...
, eventually passing through a rural Maida Vale
Maida Vale, Western Australia
Maida Vale is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda. Kalamunda Road runs through the suburb.Within the suburb there is a primary school , a golf course, numerous parks/ovals , small shops including a BP Petrol station and a heated swimming pool...
and climbing the Darling Scarp. Welshpool Road then passes through Wattle Grove
Wattle Grove, Western Australia
Wattle Grove is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda.-Description:Wattle Grove is approximately 3/4 Semi Rural, and 1/4 Urban Development...
, a mostly rural foothill suburb; however, this section is suburban. It then meets Tonkin Highway; this marks both State Route 8 and Welshpool Road's final traffic light and departure from the Swan Coastal Plain
Swan Coastal Plain
The Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia is the geographic feature which contains the Swan River as it travels west to the Indian Ocean. The coastal plain continues well beyond the boundaries of the Swan River and its tributaries, as a geological and biological zone, one of Western Australia's...
.
After this point, the scenery transitions to semi-rural; however, the quality of the road remains high. After about 2 km, the road starts to climb the Darling Scarp. A short time after this, the median which was previously as wide as 4 lanes thins out dramatically, and becomes negligible. The road continues to climb quite steeply; similar to Great Eastern Highway
Great Eastern Highway
The Great Eastern Highway is a major road between the Western Australian cities of Perth and Kalgoorlie. It is a key route for vehicles accessing the eastern wheatbelt and the eastern goldfields...
the climb is constant, Kalamunda Road
Kalamunda Road
Kalamunda Road is a minor arterial road linking the historic suburb of South Guildford with the Darling Scarp town of Kalamunda, in Perth, Western Australia....
's climb of the escparpment is undulating. Welshpool Road then meets Lesmurdie Road, and finally changes to a 2 lane single carriageway. After this point, westbound traffic is given two overtaking lanes that last for about 750 m each. Finishing its climb in Carmel, Welshpool Road terminates into Canning Road.
Junctions
| Allocation | Junction | Suburb |
|---|---|---|
 |
Roe Highway Roe Highway Roe Highway is a limited access dual carriageway in Western Australia. It links Great Northern Highway and Middle Swan Road with Kwinana Freeway. It is one of the key heavy vehicle routes in the Perth metropolitan area. Aside from intersections, the speed limit is 100 km/h for most of its length... |
Welshpool Welshpool, Western Australia Welshpool is an inner southeastern suburb of Perth, located mostly within the City of Canning. The area is considered to be one of the main industrial areas of Perth, along with Kewdale, Kwinana, Henderson, Malaga, O'Connor, Canning Vale and Osborne Park.... & East Cannington East Cannington, Western Australia East Cannington is a southeastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Canning.-History:East Cannington, previously part of Queens Park Road Board District, and once incorporating present day Beckenham was largely a semi-rural area, with only the area near... |
| Hale Road | Wattle Grove Wattle Grove, Western Australia Wattle Grove is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda.-Description:Wattle Grove is approximately 3/4 Semi Rural, and 1/4 Urban Development... |
|
 |
Tonkin Highway Tonkin Highway Tonkin Highway, at , is a limited access dual carriageway in Perth, Western Australia, connecting Reid Highway in the north with Thomas Road in the south. Mostly a 4 lane highway, some sections of the highway are to a 4 to 6 lane freeway standard; the remainder of the highway has been designed to... |
Wattle Grove Wattle Grove, Western Australia Wattle Grove is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda.-Description:Wattle Grove is approximately 3/4 Semi Rural, and 1/4 Urban Development... |
| Crystal Brook Road (Twice) | First:Wattle Grove Wattle Grove, Western Australia Wattle Grove is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda.-Description:Wattle Grove is approximately 3/4 Semi Rural, and 1/4 Urban Development... Second:Lesmurdie Lesmurdie, Western Australia Lesmurdie is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda.It is viewed as being a rival suburb to the neighbouring suburb of Kalamunda directly to the north. The main access to the suburb from the Swan Coastal Plain is via Welshpool Road, that snakes its way up the... |
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| Lewis Road | Wattle Grove Wattle Grove, Western Australia Wattle Grove is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda.-Description:Wattle Grove is approximately 3/4 Semi Rural, and 1/4 Urban Development... |
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| Lesmurdie Road | Lesmurdie Lesmurdie, Western Australia Lesmurdie is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda.It is viewed as being a rival suburb to the neighbouring suburb of Kalamunda directly to the north. The main access to the suburb from the Swan Coastal Plain is via Welshpool Road, that snakes its way up the... |
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| Pomeroy Road | Lesmurdie Lesmurdie, Western Australia Lesmurdie is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda.It is viewed as being a rival suburb to the neighbouring suburb of Kalamunda directly to the north. The main access to the suburb from the Swan Coastal Plain is via Welshpool Road, that snakes its way up the... & Carmel Carmel, Western Australia Carmel is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda.Prior to 1949 it was a stopping place on the Upper Darling Range Railway. The railway siding was originally known as Green's Landing after Perth businessman Levi Green, who had moved into the area in 1844... |
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Canning Road | Carmel Carmel, Western Australia Carmel is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located within the Shire of Kalamunda.Prior to 1949 it was a stopping place on the Upper Darling Range Railway. The railway siding was originally known as Green's Landing after Perth businessman Levi Green, who had moved into the area in 1844... |
Disconnection
Roe Highway's extension beyond Welshpool Road in 2002 represented the biggest change to Perth's transport infrastructure since the Graham Farmer FreewayGraham Farmer Freeway
The Graham Farmer Freeway is a major part of the metropolitan road infrastructure in Perth, Western Australia. It is long and links Rivervale and East Perth with West Perth, bypassing Perth's central business district...
was opened in 2000. Welshpool Road, Orrong Road & William Street were the 3 major roads affected due to the extension.
Before Roe Highway's extension in 2002, the highway's north and southbound lanes separated, leaving a 250 m gap between them once they met Welshpool Road. After this, they both formed one lane and came back together, continuing as William Street. Orrong Road would terminate into Welshpool Road in the form of a T-junction.
Due to the extension of Roe Highway, major changes were made. Firstly, Welshpool Road was disconnected; William Street was disconnected from Roe Highway, and Orrong Road was extended to meet Roe Highway in the form of a diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
. Orrong Road now continues as Welshpool Road East. Welshpool Road West now continues as William Street.