Indian Ocean Drive
Coastal highway in Western Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
.JPG)
Indian Ocean Drive | |
|---|---|
| |
| View south towards Leeman, 2014. | |
 | |
| 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
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]
Safety
The road, mainly the section between Yanchep and Lancelin, has been the scene of multiple car accidents. An 18-month period to June 2017 saw more than 50 serious crashes occurring on the road,[5] while at least nine fatalities and 41 people have been taken to hospital as a result of crashes along Indian Ocean Drive between 2014 and 2019.[6]
Since 2020, Indian Ocean Drive has received over $85 million in upgrades to improve the safety of the route, including widening and realignment works and the addition of overtaking lanes, audible lines and advisory signage in multiple languages.[7] However as of October 2025, the road remains notorious for its rate of accidents and serious crashes.[8]
Localities on coast
From the Perth metropolitan region that ceases before Yanchep:
- Two Rocks
- Guilderton
- Seabird
- Ledge Point
- Lancelin
- Wedge Island
- Grey
- Cervantes
- Jurien Bay
- Green Head
- Leeman
- Coolimba
- Illawong
- Port Denison
- Dongara
Major intersections
| LGA | Location | km[9] | mi | Destinations[10][11] | 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 | |||||
