Fremantle Traffic Bridge
Fremantle Traffic Bridge | |
|---|---|
View 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 metres |
| No. of lanes | 4 |
| History | |
| Opened | 15 December 1939 |
| Closed | 1 February 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.
History
With the 1866-built bridge connecting North Fremantle and Fremantle in urgent need of replacement, work commenced on a replacement in November 1937.[1] It was envisaged to have a short lifespan with Fremantle Harbour expected to be extended further east.[2] Hence it was built out of timber rather than concrete. It opened on 15 December 1939.[3][4][5]
In 1992 work on replacing the original timbers to extend the bridge's life by 25 years was completed.[6][7]
Construction of a replacement bridge by a consortium of Arup, Laing O’Rourke and WSP commenced in September 2024.[8][9] The project was altered with the new bridge to be built to the west of the current bridge rather than the east.[10] The old bridge was closed on 1 February 2026.[11] The replacement bridge is scheduled to open by February 2027.[12]
References
- ^ "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. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Saffioti, Rita (3 September 2024). "Construction of iconic Fremantle Traffic Bridge underway" (Media statement). Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
- ^ Swan River Crossings Main Roads Western Australia
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Hastie, Hamish (31 January 2026). "Freo bridge has officially closed. What happens next?". WAtoday. Retrieved 1 February 2026.