Road Photos & Information: Western Australia

Tonkin Highway (State Route 4)

Statistics:

• Length: 43 km
• Northern Terminus: Reid Highway (SR3) at Noranda
• Southern Terminus: Thomas Road (SR21) at Darling Downs
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Darlng Downs, Brookdale, Forrestdale, Champion Lakes, Gosnells, Martin, Maddington, 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.1
• December 2005: Tonkin Highway extension from Armadale Road to Thomas Road was opened to traffic by Geoff Gallop.1

1 Main Roads WA

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