'It shouldn't have happened': Roadworks 'stuff up' brings Kwinana Freeway to standstill
Main Roads has apologised after a roadworks "stuff up" brought Kwinana Freeway traffic to a standstill for 20 kilometres in the middle of the Monday morning work rush.
Main Roads spokesman Dean Roberts pulled no punches.
"It was a stuff up, we apologise," he said.
Commuters complained online about waiting in traffic for up to two hours.
Motorists who travel north on the Kwinana Freeway into the city will be familiar with major delays, caused by the road works for the 'smart freeways' project. They are scheduled for completion mid-2020.
The project is currently resurfacing the lanes north of Canning Highway.
Overnight roadworks to fix a broken Water Corporation drainage pipe which runs underneath the middle lane of the freeway did not go as planned. Concrete was poured at 2am and was expected to have cured by 5am, ready to support the influx of peak hour traffic on the way.
But it did not dry in time, resulting in the lanes remaining closed.
Mr Roberts said this caused people to be caught in "the awful traffic snarl" which had cars at a standstill from Canning Highway all the way back to Rowley Road.
"It shouldn't have happened," Mr Roberts said.
Traffic was down to one lane from Canning Highway for about 500 metres.
Main Roads warned of heavy congestion and urged commuters to try a different route.