Landscaping
The Rehabilitation and Landscaping Plan will aim to minimise the impact on vegetation, fauna and flora, and guide the future rehabilitation program to provide good visual amenity.
It will use locally occurring native species to match the existing habitats and improve the diversity of plant species and communities within and adjacent to the highway. The plan will consider the existing landscape character and will be developed with input from key stakeholders.
The plan will provide a safe driving experience for road users with clear sight lines and appropriate setbacks. The plan will also aim to enhance the appearance and function of the site for the benefit of motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and the community.
Rehabilitation and revegetation of areas within the road reserve will be an integral part of the project and is expected to sustain and enhance vegetation values.
The landscape design philosophy has been developed with consideration of the safety, social, resources management and ecological requirements of the project.
The primary philosophies of the works include:
- ensuring the project site complies with all safety requirements regarding height and lateral clearances of frangible vegetation
- ensuring the project site is restored to avoid land degradation and that it is integrated ecologically and visually with the surrounding landscape, while providing a safe and efficient extension of the existing road network
- enhancing the visual amenity of the road through viewsheds and screens.
The landscape design will incorporate and reflect the three main types of landscape that surround the project – urban residential, rural farmland and natural bushland.
Landscaping around the interchanges will be treated independently.
Local amenities
A Principal Shared Path (PSP) will be constructed alongside the highway to provide access for pedestrians and cyclists. The path will be built on the western side of the highway from Safety Bay Road to South Yunderup, a distance of 32 kilometres. South of South Yunderup Road, cyclists will be permitted to ride on the sealed shoulder of the highway.
The PSP will be connected to a number of local roads and underpasses will be provided to remove the need to cross opposing traffic.
Access to the shared path from local roads will be available from:
- Safety Bay Road / Folly Road
- Serpentine Road (west)
- Karnup Road
- Stakehill Road (west)
- Paganoni Road
- Lymon Road
- Stock Road
- Woodland Parade
- Fowler Road
- Lakes Road
- Rogers Road (west)
- Pinjarra Road
- South Yundeurp Road
Rest areas and parking bays will be constructed to provide a place of refuge for drivers using the highway. It is intended that these amenities will be constructed in the southern section of the project, between South Yunderup and Lake Clifton, however, their locations are still to be finalised with stakeholders.