Riverside Drive, Perth

Last updated

Riverside Drive

OIC perth 2008 view of esplanade from PCEC.jpg
View from the Perth Convention Centre, 2008
Riverside Drive, Perth
General information
TypeRoad
Length3.4 km (2.1 mi)
Route number(s) Australian state route 5.svg State Route 5
Major junctions
Eastern section
East endAustralian state route 5.svg The Causeway (State Route 5), East Perth
 Australian state route 65.svg Plain Street (State Route 65)
West endAustralian state route 53.svg Barrack Street (State Route 53)
Western section (Birdiya Drive)
North-east endAustralian state route 53.svg William Street (State Route 53)
 Australian state route 2.svg Mitchell Freeway (State Route 2)
South-west endAustralian state route 5.svg Mounts Bay Road (State Route 5), Perth

Riverside Drive in Perth, Western Australia, is a road on the northern side of Perth Water. It was built on reclaimed land in the 1930s, and links The Causeway to the Narrows Bridge.

Contents

Route description

Riverside Drive is part of State Route 5. It begins at the intersection of The Causeway, Adelaide Terrace, and Hay Street, which is a traffic light controlled raindrop roundabout. Riverside Drive heads west-north-west, parallel to the edge of Perth Water and the city's other arterial roads. It passes by Langley Park and Supreme Court Gardens before reaching Barrack Street and the Barrack Street Jetty. Earlier, till 26 January 2014, it continued through to William Street alongside the former site of The Esplanade, now the location of Elizabeth Quay. Ramps to the Kwinana Freeway and from the Mitchell Freeway connect to the intersection with William Street, with Riverside Drive's former western section continuing as a one-way road south-westbound, following the Swan River and passing beneath the Narrows Bridge, before ending at the Point Lewis Roundabout on Mounts Bay Road, [1] that section now named Birdiya Drive, Noongar for elders. [2]

History

1950s plan for a bus station on the Esplanade which shows the then alignment of Riverside Drive. River reclamation during the construction of the Mitchell Freeway realigned Riverside Drive to run in a more southerly route. Riverside Drive Perth 1950.jpg
1950s plan for a bus station on the Esplanade which shows the then alignment of Riverside Drive. River reclamation during the construction of the Mitchell Freeway realigned Riverside Drive to run in a more southerly route.

Riverside Drive which was planned in 1903, but which was not completed until the 1930s due to the need to have reclaimed land on which to build the road. [3] [4]

Construction of the road in the 1930s was seen as a threat to the lightering trade on the Swan River between Perth and Fremantle. [5]

In the early 20th century the name of the road carried beyond its current length; proposed river-side roads were mentioned for South Perth [6] and the northern shore of the Swan River as far as Peppermint Grove. [7]

Crowds on Riverside Drive for the 2015 Australia Day celebrations Perth Australia Day 2015 crowds riverside drive.jpg
Crowds on Riverside Drive for the 2015 Australia Day celebrations

Plans to widen were proposed in 1985 and in 1986. [8] [9] [10]

Significant changes in the landscaping along Riverside Drive were made in 1999. [11]

At times of heavy rains and the Swan River flooding, Riverside Drive has been affected seriously, [12] in the 1930s and 1940s [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] as well as more recently. [18]

Section closure

Riverside Drive was closed for the Australia Day celebrations and fireworks on 26 January 2014, however unlike other roads in the area, it remained closed between Barrack Street and William Street due to the construction of Elizabeth Quay. [19] [20]

Several groups and individuals have previously raised concerns about the impact on the Perth road network resulting from the diversion of Riverside Drive traffic around the new Elizabeth Quay inlet. [21] [22] [23] The mayors of seven surrounding local government areas issued a joint statement stressing the importance of completing certain roadworks prior to the diversion of Riverside Drive. [24] The Graham Farmer Freeway has had additional lanes installed in the Northbridge Tunnel to encourage motorists to bypass the city. The Royal Automobile Club raised early concerns that loss of the emergency lanes might affect emergency response times. [25] Although a tunnel, either under the inlet or as part of one of the suggested alternative schemes, has previously been dismissed, the suggestion that a tunnel might be built at some time in the future has not been totally dismissed. [26] In January 2014 the Opposition again raised concerns that the closure would lead to further congestion, but the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority were confident that drivers would adapt to the change. [27] In preparation for the closure, Riverside Drive had been reduced by one lane through that section. [27]

On 4 November 2021, the western section of Riverside Drive was formally renamed Birdiya Drive to prevent confusion around which section of Riverside Drive to follow. Birdiya means "elder" or "leader" in the Noongar language and was chosen following consultation with the City of Perth Aboriginal Elders Advisory Group. [2]

See also

KML is from Wikidata

Australia road sign W5-29.svg Australian Roadsportal

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perth</span> Capital city of Western Australia

Perth is the capital city of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth as of 2023. It is part of the South West Land Division of Western Australia, with most of Perth's metropolitan area on the Swan Coastal Plain between the Indian Ocean and the Darling Scarp. The city has expanded outward from the original British settlements on the Swan River, upon which its central business district and port of Fremantle are situated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swan River (Western Australia)</span> River in Perth, Western Australia

The Swan River is a major river in the southwest of Western Australia. The river runs through the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia's capital and largest city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toodyay, Western Australia</span> Town in southwestern Australia

Toodyay, known as Newcastle between 1860 and 1910, is a town on the Avon River in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 85 kilometres (53 mi) north-east of Perth. The first European settlement occurred in the area in 1836. After flooding in the 1850s, the townsite was moved to its current location in the 1860s. It is connected by railway and road to Perth. During the 1860s, it was home to bushranger Moondyne Joe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albany Highway</span> Highway in Western Australia

Albany Highway links Western Australia's capital city Perth with its oldest settlement, Albany, on the state's south coast. The 405-kilometre-long (252 mi) highway travels through the southern Wheatbelt and Great Southern regions, and is designated State Route 30 for most of its length. Outside of Perth the highway is predominately a sealed, single carriageway with regular overtaking lanes in some undulating areas. Albany Highway commences at The Causeway, a river crossing that connects to Perth's central business district. The highway heads south-east through Perth's metropolitan region, bypassed in part by Shepperton Road and Kenwick Link, and continues south-eastwards through to Albany. It intersects several major roads in Perth, including the Leach, Tonkin, Brookton, and South Western highways. The rural section of Albany Highway connects to important regional roads at the few towns and roadhouses along the route, including Coalfields Highway at Arthur River, Great Southern Highway at Cranbrook, and Muirs Highway at Mount Barker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Farmer Freeway</span> Freeway in Perth, Western Australia

Graham Farmer Freeway is a 6.4-kilometre (4.0 mi) inner-city freeway in Perth, Western Australia. It links Rivervale and Burswood with West Perth and Leederville, providing an east-west bypass of Perth's central business district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perth Water</span> Body of water of Swan River, Western Australia

Perth Water is a section of the Swan River on the southern edge of the central business district of Perth, Western Australia. It is between the Causeway to the east, and Narrows Bridge to the west – a large wide but shallow section of river, and the northern edge of the suburb South Perth. It is considered a landmark of the City of Perth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Causeway</span> Road bridge in Perth, Western Australia

The Causeway is an arterial traffic crossing in Perth, Western Australia, linking the inner-city suburbs of East Perth and Victoria Park. It is carried over the Swan River at the eastern end of Perth Water by two bridges on either side of Heirisson Island. The current Causeway is the third structure to have been built across the river at this point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrack Street</span> Street in CBD of Perth, Western Australia

Barrack Street is one of two major cross-streets in the central business district of Perth, Western Australia. Together with St Georges Terrace, Wellington Street and William Street it defines the boundary of the main shopping precinct of the central city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrack Square</span>

Barrack Square is an open public square on the foreshore of Perth Water on the Swan River, located at the southern end of Barrack Street near the central business district of Perth, Western Australia.

Perth is the capital city of Western Australia. It was established by Britain as the Swan River Colony in 1829. The area had been explored by Europeans as early as 1697, and occupied by the Indigenous Whadjuk Noongar people for millennia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Georges Terrace</span> Road in the central business district of Perth, Western Australia

St Georges Terrace is the main street in the city of Perth, Western Australia. It runs parallel to the Swan River and forms the major arterial road through the central business district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackwall Reach</span>

Blackwall Reach is a section of the Swan River in Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington Street, Perth</span> Road in Perth, Western Australia

Wellington Street is the northernmost of the four primary east-west streets in the central business district of Perth, Western Australia. It is 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) long, stretching from Plain Street in East Perth to Thomas Street in West Perth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Victoria Street, Fremantle</span> Road in Fremantle, Western Australia

Queen Victoria Street is the main road entering the city centre of Fremantle, Western Australia, from the direction of Perth. The road was originally named Cantonment Road, but was subsequently renamed Victoria Road, and a few years later Queen Victoria Street, after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, to avoid confusion with similarly named roads in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrack Street Jetty</span>

Barrack Street Jetty is located on the edge of Perth Water on the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. It is no longer used on the Transperth ferry service between the Perth central business district and South Perth, having been replaced on that service with Elizabeth Quay Jetty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mounts Bay Road</span> Road in Perth, Western Australia

Mounts Bay Road is a major road in Perth, Western Australia, extending southwest from the central business district along the north bank of the Swan River, at the base of Kings Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perth waterfront development proposals</span> Proposals for north shore of Perth Water, Perth, Western Australia

The north shore of Perth Water on the Swan River frontage to the city of Perth in Western Australia has been frequently changed since the arrival of Europeans in 1829. Various forms and structures have appeared and been removed over the last 190 years. Jetties, ports and various forms of reclamation have moved the shore considerably into Perth Water. The main eras of reclamation were in the 1870s, 1900s, 1920s-1937, 1955–1959, and 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Quay</span> Waterfront development of a precinct in Perth, Western Australia

Elizabeth Quay is a mixed-use development project in the Perth central business district. Encompassing an area located on the north shore of Perth Water near the landmark Swan Bells, the precinct was named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II during her Diamond Jubilee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Perth</span>

Tourism in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, is an important part of the Australian state's economy, contributing to the prosperity of businesses in the city, as well as other regions of the state.

The Black Swan was the first bucket dredge used by the Swan River Colony to make its rivers more suitable for shipping. The dredge was operational from 1872 to 1911, when it was scuttled. Initially known as the Government Dredge, it was renamed after being repaired and modified between 1887 and 1888. The dredging carried out by the Black Swan and other vessels had a significant impact on the river fauna and flora, including the black swans for which it was named.

References

  1. Perth Central Business District (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Western Australian Land Information Authority. Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Western portion of Riverside Drive renamed Birdiya Drive to honour Noongar Elders". Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  3. Seddon, George; Ravine, David, 1955- (1986), A city and its setting : images of Perth, Western Australia , Fremantle Arts Centre Press, ISBN   978-0-949206-08-4 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) – see text on page 81 regarding reclamation required and map on page 82
  4. "RIVER RECLAMATION". The West Australian . Perth. 25 May 1934. p. 23. Retrieved 5 March 2012 via National Library of Australia.
  5. "RIVERSIDE DRIVE". Western Mail . Perth. 17 June 1937. p. 27. Retrieved 5 March 2012 via National Library of Australia.
  6. "RIVERSIDE DRIVE". The West Australian . Perth. 11 December 1937. p. 25. Retrieved 5 March 2012 via National Library of Australia.
  7. "RIVERSIDE DRIVE FROM PERTH TO PEPPERMINT GROVE". The West Australian . Perth. 12 June 1936. p. 27. Retrieved 5 March 2012 via National Library of Australia.
  8. Wainwright, Robert.[Lee Steere criticised Perth City Council over decision to widen Riverside Drive] West Australian, 19 Feb. 1986, p. 1e-g, 11c-d
  9. Wainwright, Robert.[Storm over plans for widening of Riverside Drive and for foreshore area] West Australian, 20 Feb. 1986, p. 3a-f
  10. Conservationists oppose Perth City Council's plans to widen Riverside Drive West Australian, 21 May 1986, p. 1a-d
  11. [Articles on redevelopment of Riverside Drive] Description of landscaping and lighting installed. Westscape, Vol. 1, No. 1, (1999), p. 6-7,
  12. see Swan River (Western Australia)#Flood events for issue of regularity of the flooding and Scott, C. F.; Western Australia. Harbours and Rivers Branch. Coastal Investigations Section (1977), Swan River flood study : an extreme event analysis of Barrack St. tide data (1930-1976), Public Works Dept. of Western Australia, Harbours and Rivers Branch, Coastal Investigation[s] Section, retrieved 17 April 2012
  13. "SEVERE STORMS". The West Australian . Perth. 20 July 1932. p. 15. Retrieved 17 April 2012 via National Library of Australia.
  14. "FLOOD WATERS ON ESPLANADE". The West Australian . Perth. 19 June 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 17 April 2012 via National Library of Australia.
  15. "ALONG THE WATERFRONT". The West Australian . Perth. 23 June 1945. p. 8. Retrieved 17 April 2012 via National Library of Australia.
  16. "NEWS AND NOTES". The West Australian . Perth. 23 June 1945. p. 6. Retrieved 17 April 2012 via National Library of Australia.
  17. "Fine Spell Forecast As Floods Recede". The Daily News . Perth. 16 July 1946. p. 1 Edition: CITY FINAL. Retrieved 17 April 2012 via National Library of Australia.
  18. 1996 – http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20040614140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23604/20040615-0000/www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/cabinet/mediast/dg96-30/lewriver.html
  19. "Road Closures". Australia Day Skyworks. City of Perth. 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  20. "Road closures for Skyworks and beyond". RAC eNews. January 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  21. Submission: MRS Waterfront Amendment – CityVision. Published 19 October 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  22. Traffic Chaos Archived 18 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine – thecitygatekeepers. Retrieved 24 March 2012
  23. Closure of Riverside Drive Concerns City Archived 24 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine – City of South Perth. Published 6 December 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2012
  24. Zaw, Yoland (2012).Councils warn of waterfront gridlockThe West Australian. Published 27 February 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2012
  25. Harvey, Ben and Alex Massey (2011). Waterfront traffic woes surfaceThe West Australian. Published 17 February 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2012
  26. Parker, Gareth and Beatrice Thomas (2011). Lib MP urges tunnel under river inletThe West Australian. Published 10 November 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2012
  27. 1 2 Dalzell, Stephanie (22 January 2014). "Concerns raised over congestion as Riverside Drive partially closes". Australia: ABC News. Retrieved 23 January 2014.