Published on Thursday, 23 December 2021 at 8:37:08 AM
Design is progressing
Planning and development is continuing on the Swan River Crossings Project. Following community and stakeholder feedback, our project team are currently reviewing and assessing alignments at the southern intersection at Queen Victoria Street (Fremantle Traffic Bridge) and Canning Highway, Fremantle. The design assessment is ongoing, and further details will be available soon.
Early investigations and geotechnical works commenced in April this year and involved extensive water, service and road pavement inspections to inform the design development for this project. The works are progressing well and are expected to be completed in early 2022. Thank you for your ongoing patience while we undertake these important early phases of works.
Connecting North Fremantle Station to the Swan River
The Swan River Crossings Project includes building the next stage of the Fremantle Principal Shared Path (PSP), which will connect North Fremantle Train Station to a new bridge over the Swan River.
The Stage 4 Fremantle PSP will be located within the existing rail corridor of the Fremantle line, which includes a bridge over Tydeman Road. It will connect to the recently opened 2.1 km PSP between Victoria Street Station and North Fremantle Station. The new PSP will improve pedestrian and cycling connectivity, providing a connected, and continuous route for pedestrians and cyclists, creating safer access to the local and surrounding areas.
Bridge condition
The recent routine inspection of the Fremantle Traffic Bridge, undertaken as part of Main Roads Asset Management Strategy for timber bridges, has confirmed the timber and steel elements of the bridge are continuing to deteriorate. A summary of the preliminary findings of the bridge condition is currently being developed.
Holiday shutdown period
With the upcoming festive season almost upon us, the project team are taking a break from Wednesday 22 December 2021 until Sunday 9 January 2022. During the break, the Main Roads Customer Information Centre will still be available for urgent enquiries on 138 138.
Further information
The Fremantle Bridges Alliance is a consortium made up of Main Roads WA, Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction, Arup and WSP, and is responsible for delivering the Swan River Crossings project.
This $230 million project will replace the Fremantle Traffic Bridge, upgrade rail infrastructure, and transform cycling and pedestrian paths while also improving navigational safety for boats on the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River). Site preparation works are expected to start in early 2022.
For further information please visit www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/swan-river-crossings or contact 138 138.
Frequently asked questions
The new traffic and rail bridges
Will it be easier to navigate under the new bridges?
In late 2020, Main Roads sought feedback from the community and stakeholders about the Swan River Crossings Project. A key issue raised during consultation was the safety for river users navigating through the narrow channel under the bridge and the overhead bridge clearance.
The project is designed to offer improved river user safety with higher and wider spans for yachts and recreational boats, emergency services (such as Water Police vessels) and it will have the capacity to accommodate new, larger vessels and future tourism growth.
What about cycling and walking paths?
We plan to build a new bridge which will provide significantly better amenity for people walking and cycling across the river.
Why do we need a new rail bridge?
Currently, freight and passenger services share one rail bridge. The project will build a new rail bridge exclusively for passenger trains, which means the existing one can be dedicated to freight, significantly improving current capacity. Having different train systems share a section of track not only requires complex management but is impacting the volume of freight that can be shifted by rail.
Rail freight currently takes more than 105,000 trucks off our roads each year, but this is nearing capacity. Unless we improve the current situation to maximise the use of rail, more freight will have to be shifted by trucks on our roads.
Construction impacts
When will the construction begin?
There will be construction impacts for nearby residents, businesses, and road users. Early works are expected to commence in mid-2022.
Will there be traffic and rail disruption during construction?
Yes, there will be some disruptions throughout the project, and we will keep the community up to date – that includes train and bus travellers, drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists as well as boaties and ferry operators.
To view more frequently asked questions visit the project website at www.mainroads.wa.gov.au
To stay informed about the project, you can subscribe to receive project updates at our website at www.mainroads.wa.gov.au
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