Planning provisions have proposed for Roe Highway to be extended from its current south-western terminus in Bibra Lake towards Fremantle since the 1950s.

These plans have been controversial amongst conservationist and community groups due to the highway's proposed route through the environmentally sensitive Beeliar Wetlands.

The Western Australian state government commenced construction on the first stage of an extension of Roe Highway from Kwinana Freeway to Stock Road (known as Roe Highway Stage 8) in December 2016; construction of the extension was suspended in March 2017 following a change of government in the 2017 state election.

A principal shared path (PSP) exists alongside most of Roe Highway, from Kalamunda Road to Kwinana Freeway.

From there the highway briefly borders the suburb of Stratton before entering Midvale, reaching another traffic light controlled intersection with Morrison Road 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) later.

Another 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) takes the highway to another half diamond interchange at Maida Vale Road, also with only northbound exit and southbound entrance ramps.

2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) later, Roe Highway reaches Berkshire Road at a diamond interchange with a "tennis ball" configuration, with traffic cutting through the roundabouts rather than circulating around them.

Following the interchange at Tonkin Highway, Roe Highway now forms the boundaries of the City of Belmont and Kalamunda LGAs to the west and east, respectively, as well as their respective suburbs, Kewdale and Wattle Grove, before crossing freight railway lines and briefly entering the suburbs of East Cannington and Welshpool within the vicinity of the Orrong Road and Welshpool Road East interchange, within the City of Gosnells LGA, 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi) further south from Tonkin Highway.

The highway, which is now within the City of Canning and bordering the residential suburb of Parkwood and industrial suburb of Canning Vale, reaches Willeri Drive 2.6 kilometres (1.6 mi) further west, after which it is now bordering Willetton to the north, and then reaches South Street 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) further southwest.

Following this interchange Roe Highway is now within the City of Cockburn and bordering the suburbs of Leeming and Jandakot, reaching Karel Avenue 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi) further west.

The highway was intended to form the southern and eastern sections of a ring route around the Perth metropolitan area.

[2] The new roads provided a limited access dual carriageway bypass of the historical Guildford and Midland districts that were much needed at the time.

Following seven years in hiatus, work recommenced, and in 2001 a new 4 km (2 mi) southwestern extension known as stage 4 was completed from Welshpool Road to the purpose-built Kenwick Link (an Albany Highway bypass built in 1998) – most of which replaced the overtaxed William Street in Beckenham.

Hope Road is now a series of local streets with the east of the freeway accessing to the West Power Jandakot Distribution Centre.

The highway was intended to form the southern and eastern sections of a ring route around the Perth metropolitan area.

Following a change in state governments in September 2008, planning work commenced on an extension of Roe Highway from Kwinana Freeway to Stock Road.

[10] Preliminary works began on the project during November 2015, which drew protests with many people being given move-on orders preventing them from being in the area.

[10] Noongar custodian Corina Abraham, on behalf of the local Whadjuk Noongar people filed writs against members of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs cultural committee and the current WA Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Peter Collier in the WA Supreme Court on 30 March 2016.

It was, at the time, the largest project Main Roads Western Australia had ever undertaken, covering the upgrade of Tonkin, Leach, and Roe Highways, and the construction of four new interchanges.

[19] Work commenced in July 2019 to widen Karel Avenue to four lanes between Farrington Road and Berrigan Drive, including duplication of the bridge crossing the Roe Highway.

[22] A staged extension of the Principal Shared Path (PSP) is also being built between the existing Berkshire and future Kalamunda Road interchanges.