Born Fremantle’s Old Bridge: Walyalup Bridge Opens
More than 15,000 people walked across Fremantle’s new Walyalup Bridge before it opened on Sunday evening. Among them was Maureen Smith, who was born on the old…
FREMANTLE — Maureen Smith, who was born on Fremantle’s old traffic bridge, was among more than 15,000 people to walk across the new Walyalup Bridge before it opened on Sunday evening. Her return to the crossing links a personal story to a major new route for the port city.
Smith was born on the old bridge on July 31, 1937, after her father delivered her in the family’s T-model Ford as her parents tried to reach Hillcrest Maternity Hospital. Now 89, she watched the replacement open at the place where her life began.
The project restores the connection to Fremantle ahead of the busy summer and school holiday period. It replaces a timber bridge that had stood for 86 years before closing on February 1.
“It’ll put Fremantle on the map and it’s just an amazing looking bridge,” Smith said.
What changes with the new Walyalup Bridge?
The $596 million crossing has two traffic lanes in each direction and shared paths up to 4m wide on each side. Its design aims to make travel safer for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.
That capacity matters for people moving between Fremantle and nearby areas, as well as for those travelling through the working port. Transperth has introduced four new bus routes, including route 996, which crosses the bridge and is intended to improve connections between Fremantle, Claremont and Stirling.
The project’s final cost is substantially higher than the original $230 million price tag. The bridge was originally scheduled to open in February, and its completion restores the crossing before the seasonal period identified as a busy time for the city.
A landmark with links to the old crossing
Smith said she felt sad when the previous bridge came down because she had crossed it on her way to work every day. She expects the new structure to become a defining feature of Fremantle.
“You often see beautiful bridges that designate the city that they’re in, and this will be the focal,” she said. She also welcomed the new lighting, which is still being completed.
Walyalup is the traditional Whadjuk Noongar name for Fremantle. The bridge is described as Australia’s first and only extradosed bridge, combining cantilever and cable-stay engineering.
Its design also incorporates parts from the 1939 bridge, including brass lantern orbs and wooden piles. The older structure had been given a 40-year design life. Public art, landscaping and interpretive signage are also part of the new crossing.
Acting Premier and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti called it a “once-in-a-generation piece of infrastructure” and praised the early completion as an “incredible achievement” for those involved. She said the bridge would make journeys safer and smoother for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, ferries and boats.
Federal Member for Fremantle Josh Wilson described the project as the most significant investment in new infrastructure in Fremantle in his lifetime. The work created about 1400 jobs and directed more than $13million to 34 Aboriginal-owned businesses.
Finishing work and lighting tests will continue in the coming weeks. Saffioti said, “the majority of the works are done.”
