Navigating Perth and beyond: A guide to the freeways and highways

By: Cristy Burne

If you’re new to Perth, or new to driving in Western Australia, or even if you just like logic and maps, there’s good news: Perth’s main roads are all fairly rationally set out.

In this guide, you’ll get to know Perth’s major routes, understand how they connect the city to its suburbs and regional areas, and get a refresher on key road rules that will help you drive in WA with confidence.

The trunk: Perth’s Freeway

If you think of Perth’s roads like the branches of a tree, it’s great to know there’s a main trunk you can really rely on. The two main freeways - the Kwinana and Mitchell freeways - run north to south, forming a fast-flowing trunk from which other main roads branch east and west. The Mitchell Freeway runs north of the city and the Kwinana Freeway runs south.

Mitchell Freeway (freeway north)

Where it runs: North from the Perth CBD all the way to the satellite city of Joondalup and beyond.

Use it to: Head to Perth’s northern suburbs like Scarborough, Hillarys and Mindarie.

Tip: Peak hour northbound traffic can be heavy after 3pm weekdays. Allow extra time.

Kwinana Freeway (freeway south)

Where it runs: South from the Perth CBD towards Rockingham and Mandurah.

Use it to: Visit Perth’s southern suburbs and further south to the Peel region.

Tip: Southbound traffic gets busy around 4–6pm.

The branches: Perth’s major roads

Peeling off from the north and south freeways are several highways that offer east-west travel, so you can quickly branch out to reach suburbs, beaches, hills, and beyond.

Graham Farmer Freeway (Tunnel running east-west through the city)

Where it runs: This east-west tunnel peels off from the Kwinana Freeway just north of Perth and runs under the city, connecting Leederville to Burswood.

Use it to: Quickly bypass the CBD and reach East Perth, Optus Stadium or Victoria Park.

Tip: Watch for speed limit changes as you enter or exit.

Stirling Highway (East-west road from Perth to Fremantle)

Where it runs: From Perth City, just to the north of the Swan River, all the way west to Fremantle and the coast.

Use it to: Access the University of Western Australia, and Perth’s western suburbs.

Canning Highway and Leach Highway (East-west roads in Perth’s south)

Where they run: From the west coast in Fremantle to the east, crossing the Freeway on the southern side of the Swan River, and eventually turning into Great Eastern Highway.

Use them to: Get to the airport from Perth’s southern suburbs, or to Fremantle and the coast from the east.

Tonkin Highway (North-south road to Perth’s east)

Where it runs: South from Muchea (40 minutes north-east of Perth), past the airport and then further south to Mundijong (50 minutes south-east of Perth).

Use it to: Reach Perth Airport, industrial areas or to link to the southern highways. If you want to head north from Muchea, Tonkin becomes the Brand Highway, taking you the inland route north to Geraldton.

West Coast Highway (North-south road to Perth’s west)

Where it runs: Up the coast from the beach suburb of Cottesloe, joining Marmion Avenue to run all the way north to Yanchep, 40 minutes north of Perth.

Use it to: Check out Perth’s beautiful northern beaches.

Reid Highway (East-west road to Perth’s north)

Where it runs: From Mirrabooka east to Middle Swan.

Use it to: Travel between Freeway North and Tonkin Highway without going through the city.

Roe Highway (North-south arcing road to Perth’s east)

Where it runs: Bypassing Perth altogether, this road connects to Kwinana Freeway near Leeming, then curves north-east to Great Eastern Highway.

Use it to: Travel around the eastern suburbs without going through city traffic.

The road trip routes: Perth’s regional highways

If you’re heading out of the Perth metro area into regional WA, here’s what you need to know:

Driving south: Forrest Highway

Where it runs: After taking Kwinana Freeway to its southern end, it turns into Forrest Highway, which continues further south to Bunbury and beyond. Forrest Highway eventually turns into Wilman Wandandi Highway, which will take you all the way to Margaret River.

Use it to: Check out Mandurah, Bunbury, Margaret River and Perth’s famous South West region.

Driving south-east: Albany Highway

Where it runs: From the suburb of Victoria Park, just south of Perth, take this one road all the way 400km south-east to the coastal town of Albany.

Use it to: Adventure in the Stirling Ranges National Park and explore the southern coast towns Denmark and Albany.

Driving north: Great Northern Highway

Where it runs: From Midland to the north of WA, tracking thousands of kilometres to Broome and eventually Darwin.

Use it to: Road trip to the Pilbara, Kimberley or Gascoyne regions.

Driving north-west: Indian Ocean Drive

Where it runs: After taking Mitchell Freeway north, continue on to Indian Ocean Drive. From there you can jump on the Brand Highway and explore all the way to Geraldton (and beyond, on the North West Coastal Highway). If you prefer an inland route from Perth to Geraldton, the Brand Highway is another option for heading north.

Use Indian Ocean Drive to: Visit beaches, coastal towns and natural attractions like the Pinnacles.

Use Brand Highway to: Visit the Wheatbelt and avoid caravan traffic.

Driving east: Great Eastern Highway

Where it runs: From Perth to Kalgoorlie where it turns into the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway which will take you south towards Norseman.

Use it to: Explore the Wheatbelt and the Goldfields.

Essential rules and local tips

Before we get into the details, it’s handy to understand the difference between freeways and highways in Perth and the regions.

Freeways can only be accessed via on and off-ramps; you won’t see any intersections or crossings on these roads.

On the other hand, highways often have the features of a regular road, just with higher speed limits. There can be on and off-ramps, as well as intersections and even roundabouts on a highway.

Driving on Perth’s freeways and highways is straightforward if you know the basics. Here are the most important rules:

Speed

Freeways

The default speed limit on Perth’s freeways is 100 km/h.

General exceptions to the default 100km/h default speed limit include when you’re in the city (when it drops to 80 km/h) or when you get to the edges of the metro area where speed limits can increase to 110 km/h, which is the highest speed limit on WA roads.

Graham Farmer freeway tunnel is a notable exception to the default speed limit—this east-west route out of the city is 80 km/h unless otherwise marked.

During periods of heavy traffic or in the case of an incident, freeway speed limits can reduce—these changes are indicated by overhead electronic signs.

Highways

On Perth’s highways, speed limits can vary considerably, from higher speeds on open roads in regional and remote areas, to much lower speeds as you pass through some cities, towns and other built-up areas.

If you’re on a highway heading down south or up north, watch for signage as you approach towns or traffic lights, as speed limits will often drop.

Speed cameras

WA uses several types of speed cameras, including fixed permanent cameras and mobile cameras. Between Mandurah and Bunbury, the Forrest Highway is speed averaged, with speed cameras at the start and finish of certain stretches.

Sharing the road

Keep left: Drive in the left-hand lane unless you’re overtaking—this is required by law on roads over 80km/h.

Freeway merging: Joining freeway traffic requires you to merge with other traffic in a zip-like formation with other vehicles, merging into gap with other vehicles. Although it sounds like two sides of a zipper coming together, in reality it requires more give-and-take. Be courteous and stay aware of other cars.

Smart freeway on-ramps: As part of Perth’s Smart Freeway initiative, some freeway on-ramps use signalled entry, especially during peak periods. You must stop on a yellow or red light, and go when the green light indicates your turn. If you see flashing yellow, you can proceed with caution.

Freeway emergency bays: You can only pull into freeway emergency bays or lanes in an actual emergency. If you’re on a freeway and can’t get to an emergency bay, stay in your vehicle, turn your hazard lights on and keep your seatbelt fastened. Perth's freeways are monitored 24/7, which means that stopped vehicles are detected quickly and an incident response vehicle will be sent to help you.

Arrive on time

Like any major city, Perth has its share of traffic congestion and busy periods. To arrive on time, plan around rush hours for school and work. It’s usually slower getting into the city in the morning, and slower getting out of the city around the end of school hours (around 3pm) and into the evening.

If you want advance warning of traffic congestion, try using Google Maps to plan your route. It’s great for checking live traffic conditions and re-routing around snarls. Google Maps can also warn you of any planned or major roadworks.