Fremantle Traffic Bridge
Fremantle Traffic Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The now dismantled 1939 timber bridge viewed from Fremantle in 2010 | |
| Coordinates | 32°02′28″S 115°45′16″E / 32.0412°S 115.7545°E |
| Carries | Queen Victoria Street |
| Crosses | Swan River |
| Locale | Fremantle |
| Owner | Main Roads Western Australia |
Preceded by | Stirling Bridge |
Followed by | Fremantle Railway Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 219 m (719 ft) |
| No. of lanes | 4 |
| History | |
| Opened | 15 December 1939 |
| Rebuilt | 2024 – 2026 |
| Location | |
Interactive map of Fremantle Traffic Bridge | |
The Fremantle Traffic Bridge carries Queen Victoria Street over the Swan River, linking the suburbs of North Fremantle and Fremantle in Perth, Western Australia. It was originally a timber bridge that opened in 1939; this structure was closed and dismantled in 2026 and replaced by a steel and concrete bridge that is scheduled to open later that year.
History
Previously there existed a timber bridge connecting North Fremantle and Fremantle, built between 1863 and 1867 using convict labour.[1] It was later renovated in 1909, and strengthened to carry trams.[1]
1939 bridge
By the mid-1930s, the 1867-built bridge was in urgent need of replacement and work commenced on a new bridge in November 1937.[2] It was envisaged to have a short lifespan with Fremantle Harbour expected to be extended further east,[3] hence it was also built out of timber rather than concrete. It opened on 15 December 1939.[4][5][6]
Major repair works on the bridge were conducted in 1978 and 1982. In 1992 work on replacing the original timbers to extend the bridge's life by 25 years was completed.[7][8]
Despite the temporary nature of its construction, as of 2016 the 77-year old bridge was averaging 30,000 cars a day, a load it was not originally designed to carry.[9] However, the costly upkeep of the aging bridge as well as fears concerning its age and the effects of erosion on its supports led to the Government of Western Australia to announce in 2019 that a replacement would be built.[10][11]
2026 bridge
Originally the project envisioned two new bridges to be built to the west of the old bridge, with the Fremantle Railway Bridge to be also duplicated.[12] The final project scope only saw the replacement of the existing traffic bridge at the same location. Calls to retain the 1939 bridge for heritage reasons, with some advocating that the structure be converted into an elevated park, were rejected in the belief that the old bridge was beyond restoration.[13]
The new bridge is Australia's first extradosed bridge, which incorporates both cantilevers and cable supports in its design and is of steel and concrete construction. It will have the same number of traffic lanes as the previous bridge, but has wider pedestrian paths and a higher clearance for boats.[11]
Construction of the replacement bridge by a consortium of Arup, Laing O’Rourke and WSP commenced in September 2024.[11][14] The initial stages of construction involved first building the new bridge's supports around the existing bridge; to limit disruptions to traffic, the old bridge remained in operation until it was closed on 1 February 2026, after which it was dismantled. Construction of the new bridge's deck then commenced in its place.[15][16] The replacement bridge is scheduled to open by the end of 2026.[17]
References
- 1 2 "Swan & Canning Rivers Bridges" (PDF). Engineers Australia Western Australia Division. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
- ↑ "Work Starts on Traffic Bridge". The Daily News. Vol. 55, no. 19553. Western Australia. 23 November 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 1 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Swan & Canning Rivers Bridges. Australian Engineering Week Tour 2012" (PDF). Engineers Australia. 2012. pp. 20–21. Archived from the original on 16 March 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ "Traffic Bridge". The West Australian. Vol. 55, no. 16679. Western Australia. 16 December 1939. p. 16. Retrieved 1 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Fremantle Bridge". The West Australian. Vol. 55, no. 16680. Western Australia. 18 December 1939. p. 14. Retrieved 1 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Fremantle Traffic Bridge". Westralian Worker. No. 1624. Western Australia. 22 December 1939. p. 5. Retrieved 1 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Fremantle Traffic Bridge". Commissioner of Main Roads Newsletter. November 1991. p. 1.
- ↑ "Fremantle celebrates its new bridge". Commissioner of Main Roads Newsletter. August 1992. p. 2.
- ↑ Beattie, Adrian (30 April 2016). "Erosion closes Fremantle Traffic Bridge despite reports about its deterioration". WA Today. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
- ↑ Young, Emma (22 April 2019). "Campaign to save Fremantle Traffic Bridge continues as experts reject claims bridge is beyond restoration". WA Today. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 Saffioti, Rita (3 September 2024). "Construction of iconic Fremantle Traffic Bridge underway" (Media statement). Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 7 September 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ Shine, Rhiannon (2 August 2021). "Fremantle Traffic Bridge to be replaced by altered Swan River Crossings project after backlash". ABC News. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ↑ Mellet, Gabrielle (2 December 2023). "Campaign to save Fremantle Traffic Bridge continues as experts reject claims bridge is beyond restoration". PerthNow. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
- ↑ Swan River Crossings Main Roads Western Australia
- ↑ Hastie, Hamish (31 January 2026). "Freo bridge has officially closed. What happens next?". WAtoday. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ↑ Spagnolo, Joe (24 January 2026). "Fremantle Traffic Bridge closure: Local council looks to block 'rat runs' amid impending traffic chaos". PerthNow. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ↑ Shepherd, Briana (9 August 2026). "New Fremantle Traffic Bridge set to open months ahead of schedule". ABC News. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
