Perth's Riverside Drive to be diverted

A 300 metre section of Perth's scenic Riverside Drive will be permanently diverted around the $2.6 billion Elizabeth Quay development on Tuesday, a change widely expected to cause short-term traffic confusion.

To access the freeway, west-bound cars will be funnelled from Riverside Drive to Barrack Street, The Esplanade and William Street.

Elizabeth Quay will cover nearly 10 hectares, including a 2.7 hectare inlet surrounded by commercial and residential properties, with oil and gas giant Chevron the first corporate buyer of land for office space.

When the state government announced plans for the quay - named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II after her visit to Perth for the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting - opponents labelled it a "vanity" project that did not involve enough public consultation.

Since then, WA has lost its prized AAA credit rating and has put other major projects on the backburner as it strives to reduce debt.

But the state government urges the public to "get the bigger picture", saying the quay will be transformational for the city.