- Major road changes announced to keep Fremantle moving during bridge closure
- Road network changes will be critical to reducing congestion in Fremantle and on Stirling Highway
- Survey released seeking community input on further changes to support people getting around
- Bridge reaches critical milestone with all piling works now completed
The State Government has today announced critical changes to the Fremantle road network in preparation for the closure of the Fremantle Traffic Bridge.
The changes to the road network will not take effect until the bridge closure commences at the start of 2026 but works on the modifications will get underway in the coming month.
The planned road modifications follow months of detailed analysis by Main Roads on how best to manage the road network and reduce major congestion during the closure.
Detailed investigations have involved surveying more than 100 intersections, coupled with extensive consultation with State and local government agencies, Fremantle Ports, emergency services, key interest groups and other stakeholders.
Investigations have found that to keep traffic in and around Fremantle moving during the closure and to avoid severe delays on Stirling Highway, a series of temporary intersection modifications will be required. This includes changes to various intersections on Stirling Highway.
The road network changes are similar to those being used during the current closure of the Armadale train line, which have successfully reduced the predicted congestion on the road network.
To support the physical network changes, Main Roads will also be installing Intelligent Transport Systems and additional CCTV cameras at more than 14 intersections, while incident management and towing teams will be permanently stationed near Stirling Bridge during peak hour throughout the closure.
These technology changes will further enhance the flow of traffic during peak periods and provide Main Roads with better real-time information on the road network.
The State Government is also releasing a community survey, which will provide people the opportunity to give feedback on what further changes the State Government could make to encourage reduced car usage such as improved public transport accessibility and better pedestrian and cycling connections.
Following the community survey, the State Government will consider the feedback and announce a range of additional measures later this year.
The announcement regarding closure plans comes as the project reaches a key milestone, with all 28 piles for the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge now installed. Concrete piles caps have also been installed on top of the piles on the southern side of the bridge.
Replacing the current Fremantle Traffic Bridge over the Swan River, the new bridge will have two lanes in each direction, wider active transport paths, and a higher clearance for watercraft, providing safer, better connections for the community.
Over the coming months, bridge towers will be built on top of the pile caps, ultimately reaching a height of 36 metres. This is part of an innovative construction methodology that allows the existing bridge to remain operational for as long as possible, minimising disruption to the travelling public.
The next key stages of the project involve constructing pylons, edge beams, and abutments, which will be followed by closure of the existing bridge for up to 12 months to complete the project.
The community can view the planned road modifications and take part in the online survey on the Main Roads webpage .
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"The construction method we're using to build the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge will significantly reduce the closure time, but a shut of up to 12 months will still be required to complete the bridge.
"The changes we're announcing today will be critical to keeping Fremantle moving during the closure of the bridge.
"As we saw with the closure of the Armadale Line, careful and detailed planning is absolutely critical.
"A combination of road network modifications, technology and shifting people's travel patterns can reduce the congestion we might otherwise see.
"The modelling we have available shows that without these road modifications, traffic congestion on Stirling Highway during peak periods would be significant and unsustainable.
"By making these changes and encouraging people to shift their travel patterns, the modelling shows we can mitigate most of the traffic congestion we were expecting to see.
"The road network changes won't take effect until the closure commences, and while we appreciate it will take some getting used to, they will be critical to keeping Fremantle moving."
As stated by Fremantle MLA Simone McGurk:
"I want to thank the community for their ongoing patience while we deliver this important project for the community.
"We recognise the road network changes will take some getting used to, but they will ensure Fremantle and Stirling Highway keep moving.
"It's also critical the community provide feedback on what other measures we could provide to help people get around Fremantle during this closure.
"The feedback provided during this consultation will ensure the Government implements measures that will meet the needs of the community and alleviate pressure on the road network."
As stated by Bicton MLA Lisa O'Malley:
"These road network changes, and the installation of Intelligent Transport Systems will be critical to keeping our community moving during this closure.
"While the road network changes won't take effect for some time, it's important the community takes the time to review the changes to better understand how it may impact the way people get around.
"We also want to encourage people to take part of the community survey, to help the government implement further measures that will support our community to keep moving."
