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The traffic disruption forecast for the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC) redevelopment was tied to early works proposed for late 2025. The Western Australian Government announced on 6 November 2025 that it would not proceed with the redevelopment proposal, so the forecast construction start and its associated traffic changes are no longer current plans. The forecast queues were modelled for a proposed scenario, not observed on Perth roads.
What was proposed for traffic around the PCEC?
In a 29 July 2025 report, the City of Perth described state-government early works intended to prepare for the redevelopment. The proposal included closing Birdiya Drive to build an at-ground tunnel structure and reconfigure the southern road network, as well as temporary intersection changes on Mounts Bay Road. Changes at Spring Street were intended to increase capacity; at William Street, the proposal involved signal and lane configurations.
At the time, the works were expected to begin in October or November 2025, subject to government approval processes. The City report anticipated that the overall effects of temporary modifications could extend for more than 12 months. Those dates and durations described the proposal in 2025; they do not show that works began.
How severe were the forecast queues?
The City report relayed a traffic consultant’s modelling for a scenario in which Birdiya Drive was closed. It forecast that displaced traffic could make Spring Street a main alternate route, with morning-peak queues increasing fivefold to as much as 833 metres. That figure was a forecast for the proposed works scenario, not a measured queue or a current prediction.
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The same account said Mill Street could approach operational failure in the evening peak without physical changes. William Street could see some evening congestion reduction because of the closure, but was still expected to remain constrained. These were modelled effects, not observed outcomes.
Why did the City question the traffic assessment?
The City said its review was constrained by the absence of area-wide traffic microsimulation. It requested holistic modelling, mitigation measures and enough time to review assessments before design approval. The City also warned that overlapping projects and closures could affect the wider network, and that impacts might be more widespread than the alternate-route assumptions captured in the modelling.
That distinction matters: the queue figures described a particular closure scenario, while the City said a fuller view of network-wide effects was still needed. The report does not establish what traffic impacts would actually have occurred.
Why was the redevelopment discontinued?
On 6 November 2025, the WA Government announced that it would not proceed with the PCEC redevelopment proposal. The government said the project was expected to cost more than $1.6 billion and require more than $500 million in road and rail infrastructure. It also cited the existing business events program and the disruption the project would cause. These are the government’s stated reasons, not an independent cost assessment.
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The government also reported that it had contributed $35 million to design, engineering, geotechnical and business-case work. Premier Roger Cook said: “We want to expand our major conference capacity, but it needs to occur in a way that delivers value for taxpayers and doesn’t interrupt the impressive forward program of business events activity.”
What was the wider precinct plan?
The draft improvement scheme described an expanded convention and exhibition centre and a broader waterfront precinct. Its stated aims included up to seven development sites, public-space upgrades, improvements to Elizabeth Quay Bus Station, better pedestrian connections and road-network changes intended to maintain traffic flow while improving safety and amenity. The redevelopment was discontinued before those aims became a current construction program.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does this mean for travel in Perth CBD now?
The cancelled redevelopment should not be treated as the cause of current CBD gridlock, or as evidence that the proposed Birdiya Drive closure and intersection changes went ahead. The information available here does not establish whether separate roadworks currently affect Mounts Bay Road, Spring Street, William Street or Birdiya Drive. For live conditions and active closures, check current notices from the City of Perth and Main Roads WA.
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