Road Photos & Information: Western Australia: Tonkin Highway (State Route 4)

Road Photos & Information: Western Australia

Tonkin Highway (State Route 4) - Former Alignment: Maddington to Noranda (State Route 4)

Statistics:

Length: 81 km (Maddington to Noranda: 21 km)
Northern Terminus: Great Northern Highway (NH95) and Brand Highway (NR1) at Muchea
Southern Terminus: Thomas Road (SR21) at Darling Downs
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route: Orange Grove, Kenwick, Wattle Grove, Forrestfield, Kewdale, Cloverdale, Redcliffe, Ascot, Bayswater, Morley and Noranda

Route Numbering:

Current:
Road Authority Internal Classification: H17 1

General Information:

Tonkin Highway links the south-east corridor with the north-east and north-west corridors of the metropolitan areas.1 The highway is a multi-laned limited access dual carriageway and provides direct access to Perth airport and was built in several stages.

The highway was originally named the Beechboro-Gosnells Highway, the name coming from the two suburbs it was originally planned to link. It was eventually renamed Tonkin Highway in honour of former West Australian premier John Tonkin.

History:

1980: Stage 1, from Welshpool Road to Hardey Road, opened.
22 December 1980: Tonkin Highway (12.2 km) from Albany Highway to Hale Road opened. 1
11 July 1984: Tonkin Highway extension (3.6 km) from Railway Parade to Morley Drive opened. 1
April 1985: Stage 4, linking Hardey Road and Great Eastern Highway opened. This included the construction of four bridges over the Forrestfield railway yards, the first bridges in Australia to be constructed using the incremental launch technique. On opening of this stage the Beechboro-Gosnells Highway was renamed Tonkin Highway after former West Australian premier John Tonkin. 1
1988: the northern and southern sections were linked with the opening of the Redcliffe Bridge
18 December 1989: Tonkin Hwy extension from Benara Rd to Morley Drive opened. 1
11 November 1991: Tonkin Highway (Benara Rd to Reid Highway) opened. 1
April 2005: The section between Mills Road West and Armadale Road was opened to traffic by the then Premier Geoff Gallop. 1
December 2005: Tonkin Highway extension from Armadale Road to Thomas Road was opened to traffic by the then Premier Geoff Gallop. 1
February 2013: Work commenced on building on ramp from Abernethy Rd to Tonkin Hwy. 2
November 2013: Abernethy Road and Tonkin Highway interchange completed and opened to traffic. 3
May 2017, Tonkin Highway and Kelvin Road intersection upgraded to improve traffic flow and safety. The upgrade works included additional through lanes on Tonkin Highway and additional and extended turning lanes, including a double right-turn for the high number of vehicles turning from Tonkin Highway southbound to Kelvin Road westbound. New cycle lanes were provided on the Tonkin Highway approaches and departures while pedestrian facilities, traffic signals and street lighting were also upgraded. 4
June 2018: As part of NorthLink WA works, completion of upgrade of Tonkin Highway to a freeway-standard, free-flowing link with six lanes between Guildford Road and Reid Highway. 5

This page concentrates on the former alignment of Tonkin Hwy between Maddington and Noranda

Maddington to Noranda		Noranda to Maddington
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Distance Sign: RD sign showing distances to the domestic and international terminals of Perth Airport, Wattle Grove, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Morley, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Approaching Hale Road: Flashing warning signs and trailblazer assembly at Wattle Grove approaching Hale Rd, April 2009. The SR3 shield is a remnant from when SR3 was routed along Hale Rd Image © Paul Rands		Benara Road: Corner of Tonkin Hwy (SR4) and Benara Rd at Morley, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Hale Road in Wattle Grove, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Reassurance Directional Sign: Exit distance sign at Morley, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the interchange with Roe Hwy (SR3) at Wattle Grove, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Distance Sign: RD sign showing distances to Perth Airport terminals, Morley, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the Roe Hwy (SR3) interchange at Wattle Grove, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Approaching Morley Drive: Flashing warning signs approaching Morley Dr (SR76) at Morley, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Approaching Roe Highway: Roe Highway off ramp at Wattle Grove, April 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Trailblazer: Trailblazer assembly at the junction with Morley Dr (SR76) at Morley, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Trailblazer Assembly: SR3 / SR4 trailblazer assembly on the off ramp to Roe Hwy (SR3), April 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Bayswater approaching Collier Rd, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Signs: ID sign assembly on the Roe Hwy (SR3) interchange at Wattle Grove, April 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Collier Road: Corner of Tonkin Hwy (SR4) and Collier Rd at Bayswater, April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Roe Highway Interchange: Tonkin Hwy as it passes under Roe Hwy at Wattle Grove. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Bayswater approaching Guildford Rd (SR51), April 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching the Abernethy Road (SR55) interchange at Kewdale. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Distance Sign: Reassurance directional sign approaching Stanton Rd in Redcliffe, December 2012. Note the incorrect SR5 shield for Leach Hwy, it should be SR7. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign as you approach the intersection with Horrie Miller Drive and Kewdale Road in Kewdale, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Dunreath Dr at Perth Airport, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Kewdale Rd / Horrie Miller Dr Intersection: Tonkin Hwy as it passes Horrie Miller Drive and Kewdale Road in Kewdale, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Dunreath Drive: Corner of Tonkin Hwy (SR4) and Dunreath Dr at Perth Airport, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Kewdale approaching Leach Hwy (SR7). November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approachig Leach Hwy (SR7) at Perth Airport, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Leach hwy Junction: Passing through the Leach Hwy intersection in Kewdale, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Horrie Miller Dr at Perth Airport, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Large RD after the Leach Hwy intersection at Cloverdale, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Horrie Miller Drive: Corner of Tonkin Hwy (SR4) and Horrie Miller Dr at Perth Airport, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching the interchange with Great Eastern Highway (NR1 / NH94) at Redcliffe, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Trailblazers: Incorrect National Route trailblazers at the end of the off ramp to Roe Hwy (SR3) at Forrestfield, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Great Eastern Hwy Interchange: The interchange with the Great Eastern Highway (NR1 / NH94) at Redcliffe, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the corner of the Tonkin Hwy (SR4) and Roe Hwy (SR3) at Kewdale. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Distances to the next 3 exits, Redcliffe, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Kewdale / Forrestfield Interchange: Heading southeast from the Roe Hwy Interchange, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Crossing the Swan River: Redcliffe Bridge over the Swan River, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Distance Sign: RD sign at Forrestfield, looking southeast, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Guildford Rd (SR51) interchange at Bayswater. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Hale Road Intersection: Approaching Hale Road, Forrestfield, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Guildford Road Interchange: Tonkin Hwy as it passes over Guildford Road at Bayswater, November 2008. Image © Paul Rands		Distance Sign: Signage indicating distances to major routes intersecting with Tonkin Hwy at Forrestfield, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Collie Road intersection, Bayswater. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands
	Collie Road Intersection: Tonkin Hwy as it passes Collie Rd at Bayswater. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands
	Trailblazer Assembly: Trailblazer assembly approaching Morley Road in Morley. November 2008. It's common for some numbered routes not to have advance directional signs and only these trailblazers. Image © Paul Rands
	Black Intersection Directional Sign: Black ID sign with route number topknot on the intersection with Morley Drive in Morley. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign after the Morley Road intersection at Morley. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Reid Highway (SR3) intersection, Noranda. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands
	End Tonkin Highway Sign: Sign indicating the end of Tonkin Hwy, thus the end of SR4 at Noranda at the Reid Hwy (SR3) intersection. November 2008. Image © Paul Rands

1 Main Roads WA
2 Government of Western Australia, Media Releases, Joint Media Statement - Billion-Dollar Gateway WA Now Underway, 1 February 2013
3 Government of Western Australia, Media Releases, New ramp at Abernethy Road now open, 13 November 2013
4 Main Roads Western Australia, Completed Projects, Tonkin Highway and Kelvin Road intersection, 16 July 2018
5 Main Roads Western Australia, Project Update, NorthLink WA, June 2018

Last updated: 26-Jul-2020 14:22

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