Great Eastern Highway and Ferguson Street, Midland: Proposed Traffic Signals

Options are being investigated to help improve congestion and road user safety in the Midland area.

Early plans have been completed for a future upgrade of Great Eastern Highway between Sayer Street and Roe Highway, with construction subject to future funding. In the meantime, an interim option to install traffic signals at the intersection of Great Eastern Highway and Ferguson Street has been identified.

This interim option would allow right turns from Ferguson Street into Great Eastern Highway under signal control, providing a safe and efficient exit point for vehicles leaving the industrial area. In particular, it would cater for the high number of heavy vehicles turning right onto Great Eastern Highway to access Roe Highway (noting this number has increased since the Robinson Road level crossing was closed in late 2022 to facilitate construction of METRONET’s new railcar manufacturing facility in Bellevue). New pedestrian crossings would also be included.

To support this interim improvement, the Ferguson Street intersection would need to be modified to allow only straight through or left-turn movements on Great Eastern Highway. This is because vehicles queuing to turn right would cause more congestion on the highway and likely increase the number of crashes. All movements would, however, be reinstated at this intersection as part of a future highway upgrade.

Future Great Eastern Highway upgrade

A future Great Eastern Highway upgrade is expected to provide for a separated dual carriageway with central median (approximately two metres) and turning pockets, allowing right turns at traffic signals. Upon completion, this upgrade would restore all turning movements at the Ferguson Street intersection, whilst retaining the proposed traffic signals.

This project remains subject to construction funding.