Walyalup Bridge

Walyalup Bridge
The now dismantled 1939 timber bridge viewed from Fremantle in 2010
Coordinates32°02′28″S 115°45′16″E / 32.0412°S 115.7545°E / -32.0412; 115.7545 (Walyalup Bridge)
CarriesQueen Victoria Street
CrossesSwan River
LocaleFremantle
OwnerMain Roads Western Australia
Preceded by
Stirling Bridge
Followed by
Fremantle Railway Bridge
Characteristics
Total length219 m (719 ft)
No. of lanes4
History
Opened15 December 1939
Rebuilt2024 – 2026
Location
Interactive map of Walyalup Bridge

Walyalup Bridge (formerly Fremantle Traffic Bridge) carries Queen Victoria Street over the Swan River, linking the suburbs of North Fremantle and Fremantle in Perth, Western Australia. First constructed between 1863 and 1867 from timber, it was replaced with timber several times over the years, the fourth and last opening in 1939. In 2024, construction of a new steel and concrete structure began, and in February 2026, Fremantle Traffic Bridge was closed, the timber structure from 1939 was dismantled, the bridge renamed, construction of the new, fifth, steel and concrete structure was completed, and Walyalup Bridge is scheduled to open in November 2026.

History

The first bridge connecting North Fremantle and Fremantle was built between 1863 and 1867 using convict labour. It was later renovated in 1909, and strengthened to carry trams.

1939 bridge

By the mid-1930s, the bridge was in urgent need of replacement and work commenced on a new bridge in November 1937. It was envisaged to have a short lifespan with Fremantle Harbour expected to be extended further east, hence it was also built out of timber rather than concrete. It opened on 15 December 1939.

Major repair works on the bridge were conducted in 1978 (in which a timber fender was installed on the structure to protect it from ship collisions) and 1982. In 1992 work on replacing the original timbers to extend the bridge's life by 25 years was completed.[full citation needed][full citation needed] In 2015 further work was carried out to strengthen the bridge and reinforce the fender following two incidents where ships collided with the Fremantle Railway Bridge.

Despite the temporary nature of its construction, in early 2016 the by then 76-year-old bridge was averaging 30,000 cars a day, a load it was not originally designed to carry. However, the costly upkeep of the 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.

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. 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. However, several of the original timber piles from the 1939 bridge have been retained in a nod to its history.

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. The new bridge also has an LED feature lighting system. Although originally estimated to cost A$280 million in 2022, the final cost of the new bridge rose to A$596 million by 2026.

Construction of the replacement bridge by a consortium of Arup, Laing O’Rourke and WSP commenced in September 2024.[full citation needed] 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.

The replacement bridge is scheduled to open on 1 November 2026. Ahead of the opening, the bridge was renamed Walyalup Bridge, taken from Walyalup, the traditional Whadjuk Noongar word for the area Fremantle now encompasses.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Cross, Hannah (25 October 2026). "New Fremantle Traffic Bridge becomes Walyalup Bridge ahead of official opening next weekend". PerthNow. Retrieved 26 October 2026. The traditional Whadjuk Noongar name for Fremantle, Walyalup is a place of social, spiritual, cultural and historic significance. It originates from the Noongar word for woylie, 'walyo', the small kangaroo-like mammal once found in the scrub and low trees in the area.
  2. 1 2 3 Cross, Hannah (25 October 2026). "New Fremantle Traffic Bridge becomes Walyalup Bridge ahead of official opening next weekend". The West Australian. Retrieved 25 October 2026. The traditional Whadjuk Noongar name for Fremantle, Walyalup is a place of social, spiritual, cultural and historic significance. It originates from the Noongar word for woylie, 'walyo', the small kangaroo-like mammal once found in the scrub and low trees in the area.
  3. 1 2 Saffioti, Rita (25 October 2026). "Name announced for new Fremantle Traffic Bridge" (Media statement). Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 26 October 2026. Thousands of people are expected to attend the free community opening event from 9 am to 1 pm on Sunday, 1 November [2026 ...]. 'We're proud to announce Walyalup Bridge as the official name for this iconic new landmark [...].'
  4. 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.
  5. ↑ "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.
  6. ↑ "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)
  7. ↑ "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.
  8. ↑ "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.
  9. ↑ "Fremantle Traffic Bridge". Westralian Worker. No. 1624. Western Australia. 22 December 1939. p. 5. Retrieved 1 February 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. 1 2 "Early warning system for Fremantle's rail bridge". 25 May 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Fremantle Traffic Bridge". Commissioner of Main Roads Newsletter. November 1991. p. 1.[author missing][publisher missing][place missing]
  12. ↑ "Fremantle celebrates its new bridge". Commissioner of Main Roads Newsletter. August 1992. p. 2.[author missing][publisher missing][place missing]
  13. ↑ Beattie, Adrian (30 April 2016). "Erosion closes Fremantle Traffic Bridge despite reports about its deterioration". WA Today. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. 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)
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ Saffioti, Rita (13 September 2026). "Joint media statement - New Fremantle Traffic Bridge to open on 1 November" (Media statement). Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 18 September 2026.
  19. 1 2 Cross, Hannah (13 September 2026). "Fremantle traffic bridge opening months ahead of schedule despite bigger price tag". The West Australian. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  20. ↑ Swan River Crossings Main Roads Western Australia [date missing]
  21. ↑ Hastie, Hamish (31 January 2026). "Freo bridge has officially closed. What happens next?". WAtoday. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  22. ↑ 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.
  23. ↑ Shepherd, Briana (9 August 2026). "New Fremantle Traffic Bridge set to open months ahead of schedule". ABC News. Retrieved 12 August 2026.