Indian Ocean Drive is a coastal highway in the Australian state of Western Australia which services the coastal communities along the Indian Ocean immediately north of the state capital Perth, linking the northern suburb of Yanchep with the Brand Highway, just south of Dongara. In terms of regions, most of it exists in the Wheatbelt coastal region. The road provides travellers between Perth and Geraldton a 30-minute shorter and more scenic route than the inland Brand Highway which mainly services heavy traffic.[1] The road also improved access to Wedge Island.
Indian Ocean Drive | |
|---|---|
.JPG) | |
| View south towards Leeman, 2014. | |
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| General information | |
| Type | Highway |
| Length | 269 km (167 mi) |
| Opened | 2010 |
| Route number(s) |  State Route 60 |
| Major junctions | |
| South end | Wanneroo Road, (State Route 60), Yanchep |
| North end |  Brand Highway, (National Route 1), Arrowsmith |
| Location(s) | |
| Major settlements | Woodridge, Gabbadah, Lancelin, Cervantes, Jurien Bay, Green Head, Leeman |
| Highway system | |
History edit
On 26 September 2010 the final section of 65 kilometres (40 mi) of sealed road from north of Lancelin to the old Pinnacles Desert Drive, approximately 10 km south of Cervantes, was opened. The section was completed at a cost of $95 million.[2] On completion of the extension, State Route 60 was extended along the length of the road.
In December 2010, the state's Geographic Names Committee, on behalf of the Shire of Gingin, requested that the City of Wanneroo rename the northern section of Wanneroo Road to Indian Ocean Drive. A motion was put forward at the 14 December 2010 council meeting to rename the section from Yanchep Beach Road north to the intersection of Gingin Brook Road, reasoning that terminating Wanneroo Road at Yanchep National Park would "be good for tourism". However, Mayor Jon Kelly considered the proposal a "futile and worthless exercise that was tantamount to heresy". Other councillors called it "offensive to the pioneers" of Wanneroo, and wished to retain the name Wanneroo in the area's only main road. An alternative motion stating that the council "does not agree" to renaming the road was passed instead.[3] However, a subsequent renaming request was passed and the name Indian Ocean Drive was extended down to Yanchep Beach Road in 2011.[4]
The road, mainly the section between Yanchep and Lancelin, has been the scene of multiple car accidents. There have been at least nine fatalities and 41 people taken to hospital as a result of crashes along Indian Ocean Drive since 2014.[5]
Localities on coast edit
From the Perth metropolitan region that ceases before Yanchep: -
Major intersections edit
| LGA | Location | km[6] | mi | Destinations[7][8] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wanneroo | Yanchep | 0.00 | 0.00 | Yanchep Beach Road – Yanchep, Two Rocks west / Wanneroo Road (State Route 60) – Neerabup, Wanneroo, Perth south | Southern terminus of Indian Ocean Drive; Road continues south as Wanneroo Road (State Route 60) |
| 0.2 | 0.12 | Old Yanchep Road – Pinjar, Banksia Grove, Mariginiup | |||
| Wanneroo–Gingin boundary | Two Rocks–Yeal boundary | 10 | 6.2 | Breakwater Drive – Two Rocks, Yanchep | |
| Gingin | Neergabby–Woodridge boundary | 30 | 19 | Gingin Brook Road – Gingin | |
| Gabbadah | 36 | 22 | Guilderton Road – Guilderton | ||
| Breton Bay–Gabbadah boundary | 43 | 27 | Seabird Road – Seabird | ||
| Karakin–Ledge Point boundary | 63 | 39 | Ledge Point Road – Ledge Point | ||
| Karakin–Lancelin–Ledge Point tripoint | 66 | 41 | KW Road – Ledge Point | Connects to Brand Highway and Gingin Brook Road via Sappers Road and Cowalla Road | |
| Karakin–Lancelin boundary | 68 | 42 | Lancelin Road – Lancelin | ||
| Gingin–Dandaragan boundary | Cooljarloo–Mimegarra–Wedge Island tripoint | 90 | 56 | Meadows Road – Cataby | Connects to Brand Highway via Mimegarra Road |
| Dandaragan | Nambung | 133 | 83 | Pinnacles Drive – The Pinnacles | |
| Cervantes–Nambung boundary | 145 | 90 | Cervantes Road – Cervantes, Badgingarra | Staggered T junctions. Connects to Brand Highway via Munbinea Road and Bibby Road | |
| Jurien Bay | 171 | 106 | Jurien Road – Hill River | Note Indian Ocean Drive is known as Bashford Street inside the Jurien Bay townsite | |
| Coorow | Green Head | 198 | 123 | The Lakes Road – Green Head | |
| Green Head–Leeman boundary | 201 | 125 | Coorow–Green Head Road – Warradarge, Coorow northeast / Green Head Road – Green Head southwest | Staggered T junctions | |
| Carnamah | Eneabba | 221 | 137 | Eneabba–Coolimba Road – Eneabba | |
| Irwin | Arrowsmith | 269 | 167 | Brand Highway (National Route 1) – Dongara, Geraldton, Eneabba, Perth | Northern terminus of Indian Ocean Drive and State Route 60 |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Indian Ocean Drive". Main Roads WA. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
- ^ Kent Acott (16 September 2010). "Indian Ocean road to drive new boom for coastal strip". The West Australian.
- ^ "Forget about renaming Wanneroo Rd". Joondalup Weekender. 16 December 2010. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ "State Route 60 Indian Ocean Drive". Ozroads. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ Shine, Rhiannon. "Locals issue warning to tourists". ABC News.
- ^ Main Roads Western Australia. "Road Information Mapping System". Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ^ Main Roads Western Australia (13 August 2013). Wheatbelt North Region map (PDF) (Map). Version 1.0. Government of Western Australia. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013. Additional archives: 27 December 2013.
- ^ Main Roads Western Australia (16 August 2013). Mid West Region map (PDF) (Map). Version 1.0. Government of Western Australia. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2015. Additional archives: 1 February 2014.
External links edit
Media related to Indian Ocean Drive at Wikimedia Commons