Fremantle Bridge Opens Amid Cost Overruns and Community Reactions

The Walyalup Bridge, a 500-metre structure, officially opened to the public, with up to 15,000 people anticipated to use it on its first day. The bridge, the first 'extra-dosed' bridge in Australia, combines cantilevers and cable stay supports.

The project, which cost $596 million — more than double the initial estimate — was completed four months ahead of schedule. Transport Minister Rita Saffioti acknowledged the cost overruns, attributing them primarily to the redesign of the bridge.

Gladys Arundel, 87, crossed the bridge as one of the first users, 87 years after attending the opening of the old bridge as a teenager. Jan Middleton, who survived a car accident on the old bridge in 1939, also attended the event.

The previous 86-year-old heritage bridge was closed in February and gradually dismantled as construction of the new bridge proceeded around it. The new structure maintains the same number of traffic lanes but includes wider pedestrian paths and higher clearance for boats.

The government implemented changes to the local transport network to manage traffic during the closure, including adjustments to traffic signals and lane changes. These measures helped prevent severe congestion on the remaining crossing, Stirling Bridge.

Local businesses reported mixed impacts from the closure, with some experiencing a drop in customers or closure, while others saw little effect. The Cyclists' Action Group criticized 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.'