Fremantle's $596m bridge opens four months ahead of schedule

Up to 15,0000 people are expected to walk across the new Fremantle traffic bridge today after it opened to the public months ahead of schedule.

The new 500-metre bridge, named the Walyalup Bridge, marks the next chapter for the port city's historic Swan River crossing and came with a price tag of $596 million — more than double the original estimate. 

The structure is the first "extra-dosed" bridge to be built in Australia, combining both cantilevers and cable stay supports.

Gladys Arundel was among the first to cross the bridge, 87 years after attending the opening of the old bridge in 1939 as a fourteen year old. 

"We were in high school just down the road and they decided we would all walk down here for the opening … it was very exciting," she said. 

"I am very thrilled to be repeating history."

Jan Middleton, who survived a dramatic 10-metre plunge off the old bridge in her car 70 years ago, was also among the huge crowd. 

Feat of engineering

The previous 86-year-old heritage-listed bridge was closed in February and progressively dismantled as the new bridge was built around it.

The new bridge has the same number of traffic lanes but wider pedestrian paths and a higher clearance for boats.

Construction was expected to take 12 months but has been completed about four months ahead of schedule.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti thanked everyone involved in the project, as well as the community and local businesses for their patience. 

"We managed to move people throughout this area with some delays but not anywhere near what people were expecting," she said.

"This is an iconic project that — as we drive past for decades to come — people will look and say 'what a beautiful bridge.'"

She attributed the cost blowout of the project primarily to the redesign of the bridge. 

"We attempted a number of solutions … the version before the final version had a complete reconfiguration of all the roads, that would have disrupted traffic for years," Ms Saffioti said. 

"We came up with a method that disrupted the community the least, that delivered the best outcome.” 

Steeped in history

Walyalup Bridge is the fifth iteration of the Fremantle traffic bridge. The first was built by convicts in the mid-1800s and the most recent to be replaced was opened in 1939, with a 40 year design life. 

Ms Saffioti said much consideration was given to preserving its history. 

“There has been some wood that’s been preserved including the timber decking ... and some of the pylons have been incorporated into the artwork," she said. 

When the bridge closed in February, there had been significant concerns traffic congestion would be intense across the one remaining crossing, the Stirling Bridge.

The government changed traffic signals, turning lanes and put in other measures to ease traffic flow, and in the end the congestion was not as bad as feared.

There were also 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.

Local business on both sides of the river had also warned of potentially severe economic impacts. 

Some have since closed and others reported a drop in customers, while others said the closure was not as bad as they feared.

The Cyclists' Action Group has condemned the new bridge as "the most unsafe design for pedestrians, cyclists and mothers with prams built over the rivers near Perth since at least 1980".

"The major design flaw is the lack of a grade-separated crossing under the north end of the bridge for vulnerable road users to cross Queen Victoria Street safely," the group said in a statement.