CHRIS THOMSON

Motor enthusiasts tired of revving their street machines along the Fremantle cafe strip may soon be able to lap the Fremantle fishing boat harbour instead.

City of Fremantle staff want to build a road across the train tracks beside Cicerello’s fish emporium to connect with an existing roundabout at the corner of Cliff Street and Marine Terrace.

The new road would make a 1.5 km-long cruising circuit – or ‘bog lap’ in the WA vernacular – possible from the boat harbour’s Mews Road which is currently a dead end.

From the roundabout, revheads could cruise south past the Esplanade Hotel, hang a right at the existing Mews Road rail crossing, continue north past Little Creatures Brewery and the statue of late AC-DC frontman Bon Scott, before crossing the tracks back to the roundabout.

A longer, three-kilometre, lap would be available to recreational motorists prepared to drive further down Marine Terrace and enter Mews Road from Capo D’Orlando Drive.

Road over Fremantle train tracks to enable boat harbour bog lap.

Dave Coggin, who chairs a Fremantle council committee that considered the plans last week, said the new road would relieve traffic congestion around the popular fishing boat harbour.

“Everyone thinks it’s a good idea,” Councillor Coggin told oneperth.com.au.

“All the modelling shows it results in a better distribution of traffic in and out of Fremantle.

“It will also activate the (historic) West End (of Fremantle) which is a good thing.”

Cr Coggin was not concerned about the rise of a second major bog lap in Fremantle to match the tried and true one along the South Terrace latte strip.

“I spose there’s always going to be bogans, isn’t there?” he said.

“The main concern really is whether the link is a one-way or two-way one.”

Cr Coggin’s committee referred the plans back to council officers for advice on a one-way versus two-way option, and also on urban design measures that could soften the new road’s visual impact.

Daniel Nelson – who parked his black 2005 Falcon XR6 turbo off Mews Road this afternoon – said that opening the street to through traffic would attract bog lappers.

“I’m not one of those types,” Mr Nelson said.

“But there are car parades around Fremantle all the time, and it’s good to see.”

Falcon GT Club of WA vice president Paul Lloyd denied his members would use the stretch as a bog lap.

“I spose if they happened to be in the area they’d drive along and see what it’s like,” Mr Lloyd said.

“They wouldn’t be going around and around all day.”

Mr Lloyd said that a shortage of visitor parking had long discouraged club members from stopping in Fremantle.

He said his members were “enthusiasts and not hoons” but that in any case hoons were not likely to bother the boat harbour.

“Burnouts are unlikely,” he said.

“That whole area is pretty well policed.”

Jill Brown, whose 100-year-old terrace house overlooks the Marine Terrace roundabout, was philosophical about potential bog lappers.

“This used to be like Monza when Cliff Street was one-way,” said the Marine Terrace resident of 13 years.

Ms Brown said the opening of Cliff Street to two way traffic in recent years had reduced the number of motorists seeking a shortcut to other parts of the port city.

“I’m just not too upset about it,” she said of the planned road.

“There’s no parking around here – (bog lappers) can’t hang around.

“If the parking’s restricted, that will limit the numbers.”