Work on what’s known as the “smart freeway” system began Monday, Jan. 6, and is expected to last up to nine months, Riverside County Transportation Commission spokesperson Ariel Tapia said.

The new smart system on Mitchell Freeway is causing chaos for peak-hour northern suburbs drivers — sparking debate about whether the problem is actually Perth motorists’ lack of nous when merging.

Traffic is slow on the Kwinana Freeway northbound in Baldivis as emergency services work to douse the fire. Main Roads reported the incident about 1.55pm on Wednesday, near Karnup Road.