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<\/p>\nThe new Fremantle Traffic Bridge is set to open before the end of the year, months ahead of schedule, with many locals and businesses saying the impact of the closure has been better than expected.<\/p>\n
In February, the 86-year-old wooden bridge was closed to allow for the construction of the new bridge, which has the same number of traffic lanes but wider pedestrian paths and a higher clearance for boats.<\/p>\n
WA’s Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti said while the closure had been expected to last for 12 months, the bridge would now reopen to road users before the end of the year.<\/p>\n
“This is an incredible piece of infrastructure and the progress has been rapid,” she said.<\/p>\n
“The concrete deck has been completed and now the work really is about finishing the bridge, in particular the roads in and out.”<\/p>\n
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The new Fremantle Traffic Bridge has a price tag of $596 million. (Supplied: WA government)<\/p>\n
Half billion dollar price tag<\/p>\n
The joint state and federal government project came with an initial price tag of $430 million, updated to $596 million in the most recent state budget.<\/p>\n
It is the first “extradosed” bridge to be built in Australia, combining both cantilevers and cable stay supports.<\/p>\n
“We’re very proud of what we’re delivering and in fact it’s an alignment that was supported by the community and it’s enabled us not to have significant impacts to the businesses, the residential and the whole traffic movement around here,” Ms Saffioti said.<\/p>\n
The closure has left Stirling Bridge as the only traffic crossing on the western side of the Swan River.<\/p>\n
Authorities implemented a number of changes to the local transport network to accommodate the closure, including additional train and bus services, more free parking bays for SmartRider users and increased monitoring of traffic via CCTV.<\/p>\n
Federal member for Fremantle Josh Wilson said the local community had risen to the challenge in terms of dealing with the impact.<\/p>\n
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Josh Wilson says the project “represents the delivery of high quality, beautiful 21st century infrastructure for the next 100 years”. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)<\/p>\n
“A lot of incredible preparatory work done by the deputy premier and the people here in Western Australia from a transport coordination and public transport and local road modification point of view that meant that we were able to deal with that disruption effectively,” he said.<\/p>\n
“And I also want to credit the broader community for the way that they’ve supported local businesses.”<\/p>\n
Community support ‘amazing’<\/p>\n
MJ owns and runs a coffee shop in North Fremantle, an area particularly affected by the closure.<\/p>\n
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MJ says while there had been an impact from the bridge closure, the community had rallied around local businesses. (ABC News: Briana Shepherd)<\/p>\n
“We did notice an impact, especially in the first month it [business] dropped significantly but our local community and support from our locals was magnificent; they were coming, bringing their friends; so community here, it’s amazing,” she said.<\/p>\n
MJ said communication with the authorities about the bridge closure had been excellent, and she was looking forward to the reopening, hopeful it would bring more foot and bike traffic past her cafe.<\/p>\n
“I just want to thank the community and our customers and everyone from North Fremantle for supporting me and the rest of the business,” she said.<\/p>\n