Fremantle’s iconic new Walyalup Bridge has officially opened ahead of schedule, restoring a vital connection to the port city ahead of summer.
Thousands of community members celebrated the milestone by walking across the bridge for the first time on Sunday morning before it opened to traffic last night.
Jointly funded by the WA and Federal Governments, the new bridge will transform the way people travel across the Swan River, with two traffic lanes in each direction and shared paths up to four metres wide on both sides.
“Walyalup Bridge is a once-in-a-generation piece of infrastructure that will service the people of Fremantle and all Western Australians for decades to come,” said WA Acting Premier and Minister for Transport and Major Infrastructure, Rita Saffioti.
“From motorists, pedestrians and cyclists to the ferries and boats below, this new bridge will make the journey safer and smoother for everyone.
“Thank you to the local families, residents, businesses, schools and freight operators who have all played their part to keep the road network moving while we built this spectacular new bridge.
“Opening it ahead of schedule is an incredible achievement for everyone involved, and I congratulate the entire project team for their innovation and commitment to delivering it as quickly as possible.”
The Government says wider and higher navigational spans under the bridge will make it safer and more accessible for ferries, boats and other water users to move around.
Named in recognition of the traditional Whadjuk Noongar name for Fremantle, Walyalup Bridge is Australia’s first and only extradosed bridge, a design that incorporates both cantilevers and cable stay supports.
It is the fifth bridge to be built in this location, replacing the previous ageing timber bridge that had served the community for almost 86 years.
The bridge’s design celebrates the community, its engineering excellence and the site’s historical and cultural significance through public art, landscaping and interpretive signage.
Heritage elements from the 1939 bridge have been restored and utilised, including the brass lantern orbs and wooden piles.
Its innovative and unique feature lighting program will celebrate stories of the river crossing that date back thousands of years, recognising the historical, cultural and spiritual significance of the area.
Finishing works will continue on the bridge and surrounding areas after the opening, including final testing of the lighting.
In the coming weeks, road-network changes made during the closure will be reinstated, including access to and from Fremantle via Canning Highway and the re-opening of Beach Street under the new bridge.
To align with the bridge opening, Transperth’s CircleRoute, which includes the existing 998 and 999 bus routes will be split into four separate bus routes from today. This includes new route 996 between Fremantle Station, Claremont Station and Stirling Station, which travels through the new Walyalup Bridge.
