Fremantle Traffic Bridge Explained

Bridge Name:	Fremantle Traffic Bridge
Carries:	Queen Victoria Street
Crosses:	Swan River
Locale:	Fremantle
Owner:	Main Roads Western Australia
Preceded:	Stirling Bridge
Followed:	Fremantle Railway Bridge
Lanes:	4
Open:	15 December 1939

The Fremantle Traffic Bridge carries Queen Victoria Street over the Swan River, linking the suburbs of North Fremantle and Fremantle in Perth, Western Australia.

History

With the 1866-built bridge connecting North Fremantle and Fremantle in urgent need of replacement, work commenced on a replacement in November 1937.^[1] It was envisaged to have a short lifespan with Fremantle Harbour expected to be extended further east.^[2] Hence it was built out of timber rather than concrete. It opened on 15 December 1939.^{[3] [4] [5]}

Construction of a replacement bridge commenced in mid-2024 with completion ^[6] In August 2021, the project was altered with the new bridge ^[7]

Notes and References

1. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/83223825 Work Starts on Traffic Bridge
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20190316035150/https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/content-files/2016-12/2012_heritage_bridges_tour_low_res.pdf Swan & Canning Rivers Bridges Australian Engineering Week Tour 2012
3. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46343712 Traffic Bridge
4. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46344022 Fremantle Bridge
5. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/148390447 Fremantle Traffic Bridge
6. https://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/projects-initiatives/all-projects/metropolitan/Swan-River-Crossings/ Swan River Crossings
7. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-02/fremantle-traffic-bridge-replacement-swan-river-crossings-moved/100342620 Fremantle Traffic Bridge to be replaced by altered Swan River Crossings project after backlash