| Graham Farmer Freeway | |
| Entering eastern end under Lord Street | |
| Length | 7 km (4 mi) |
| Direction | West-East |
| From | Mitchell Freeway, Northbridge, Perth |
| Major suburbs | East Perth |
| To | Orrong Road, Burswood, Perth |
| Established | 2000 |
| Major junctions | Loftus Street, Lord Street, East Parade, Great Eastern Highway
for full list see |
The Graham Farmer Freeway is a major part of the metropolitan road infrastructure in Perth, Western Australia. It is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) long and links Rivervale and East Perth with West Perth, bypassing Perth's central business district. It was named after the Australian rules footballer, Graham "Polly" Farmer, who played between 1953 and 1971 in both the West Australian and Victorian Football Leagues.
The freeway incorporates Western Australia's only freeway tunnel, the Northbridge Tunnel. The 1.6-kilometre (1 mi) tunnel has two traffic lanes and an emergency stopping lane in each direction, with an escape passageway between the carriageways. The tunnel is colloquially known as the "Polly Pipe", a reference to the freeway's namesake, also humorous because "Poly Pipe" is a colloquial reference to plastic pipes (commonly made from polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride materials) used in reticulation and plumbing.[1] Both tunnel portals feature public art installations. At the western end, there is a pictorial history of Northbridge, and at the eastern end, the Aboriginal artist Ron Corbett created images based on indigenous artwork. The transportation of dangerous goods and explosives through the freeway tunnel is prohibited.[2]
The freeway crosses the Swan River over the 406-metre (1,332 ft), six lane Windan Bridge.
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The freeway was constructed between 1996 and 2000, and used over 180,000 cubic metres of concrete. The project finished three months early and within budget, costing $313 million. It has been designed to have a 150 year lifespan, following the Main Roads WA specification.
Stage 1 involved construction of the tunnel and was undertaken by a Clough/Baulderstone joint venture,[3] was a finalist for the 2001 Australian Construction Achievement Award.[4]
Stage 2 included the Windan Bridge and nine other traffic and pedestrian bridge structures. This stage won an award from Austroads, the Association of Australian and New Zealand Road Transport and Traffic Authorities.[5]
| Allocation | Junction | Suburb |
|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Freeway South[6] | Northbridge | |
| Aberdeen Street[7] | Northbridge | |
| Loftus Street[8] | Northbridge and West Leederville | |
| James Street[8] | Northbridge and West Leederville | |
| Lord Street[9] | East Perth | |
| East Parade[10] | East Perth | |
| Victoria Park Drive[10] | Burswood | |
| Great Eastern Highway[11] | Rivervale and Lathlain |
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