- Government announces full suite of measures to support Fremantle Traffic Bridge closure to be in place at the start of the 2026 school year
- Extra Fremantle trains and buses on key routes and free travel zone for bus services operating along South Terrace between Douro Road and Fremantle Station
- Train station parking to be expanded and made free for public transport users
- Measures form part of holistic approach including previously announced road changes and major investment in smart system technology to manage traffic movements
The Western Australian Government has announced its full suite of initiatives to reduce peak-hour vehicle usage and keep Stirling Highway moving during the 12-month closure of the Fremantle Traffic Bridge.
The initiatives have been developed with input from the wider community via a survey released in May and form part of a holistic approach to keep journey time delays to a minimum during the 12-month closure period.
The survey attracted more than 1,200 responses, with about a third indicating they planned to utilise public transport more often during the shut.
In response to the feedback provided, two additional train services will be provided in both the morning and afternoon peak, while additional buses will be brought in to support key bus routes including the 107, 998, 999.
Additional transit officers will be stationed at Fremantle Station during the closure.
To support movement within the Fremantle area, the government will implement a free-travel zone along South Terrace between Douro Road and the Fremantle Station.
This change will operate for the period of the traffic bridge closure and will apply to all passengers using a SmartRider who board and alight at any of these stops.
The State Government will also provide around 100 additional parking bays at Fremantle Station, with parking to be made free for those catching the train during the closure period.
Passengers will need a SmartRider to access the free parking, which is activated when they use public transport.
The survey also found 85 per cent of public transport patrons from Fremantle travel at least two zones, meaning they will see significant benefit when the one-zone fare cap commences on 1 January 2026.
Removing the current $2 parking fee and the introduction of the new one-zone flat fare will provide a weekly saving of up to $27 for commuters travelling to Perth via train five days a week.
Following advocacy from Fremantle MLA Simone McGurk, the government also recently announced it would retain the skate park within the Beach Street car park.
The land is required as part of long-term plans to move bus layovers from the front of Fremantle train station and was going to be used to provide additional parking bays during the shut.
Moving buses from the front of the train station has been a long-held ambition for the Fremantle community. Additional bus layover areas being delivered as part of the Fremantle Traffic Bridge shut will support the future delivery of this ambition.
The State Government will engage with the City of Fremantle about the skate park's long-term future.
Technology will play a key part of the traffic congestion mitigation strategy, with 18 new cameras and Bluetooth monitoring devices to provide enhanced real-time monitoring of traffic movements, while VMS boards will provide real-time travel information to drivers.
Incident response teams will also be permanently stationed alongside Stirling Highway in the area to provide immediate response to any issues that occur on the road network.
Meanwhile, work is progressing with the freight industry to discuss options to encourage changes including increased rail usage and off-peak freight operations during the closure.
Bespoke engagement is underway with schools in the area to deliver tailored journey planning and encourage the use of public transport, active transport alternatives, and carpooling to reduce car usage. Discussions are also continuing with local governments to improve end of trip facilities.
These suite of measures come on top of new school bus special services announced last week that will support a reduction in car travel to key schools, including Iona Presentation College, St Hilda's Anglican School, and Presbyterian Ladies' College.
These schools were identified for school bus special services due to their proximity to Stirling Highway and the significant car usage to and from these schools over Stirling Bridge.
Construction on previously announced road modifications is also underway, which will support enhanced traffic movement through the duration of the shut.
Replacing the current Fremantle Traffic Bridge over the Swan River remains on track with towers in place on all four corners of the bridge.
The new bridge will feature two lanes in each direction, wider active transport paths, and higher clearance for watercraft, providing safer, improved connections for the community.
The closure is currently scheduled to commence in February 2026, with the government to announce a formal closure date in the coming months.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"I want to thank the community for taking the time to provide input during our period of consultation.
"The feedback we received from the community has been critical to developing the package of initiatives we have announced today.
"We're adding more trains and buses, introducing a free transit zone along South Terrace, increasing car parking at Fremantle Station, and making it free for train users with SmartRiders, undertaking major road modifications, and permanently stationing incident response teams at key locations along Stirling Highway throughout the shut.
"We know there will be disruption and congestion created by this bridge closure, but this comprehensive package of initiatives will help ease those impacts."
As stated by Fremantle MLA Simone McGurk:
"Replacing the old Fremantle Traffic Bridge needs to happen, but we recognise doing that comes with a period of disruption for the community.
"These initiatives are in direct response to the feedback we got from the community, and I want to thank Fremantle residents and businesses for their input.
"A free travel zone for all bus services operating along South Terrace between Douro Road and Fremantle Station and additional trains on the Fremantle Line will make it easier for people to use public transport.
"The suite of measures announced today will be key to helping locals get around during the shut, as well as getting visitors and tourists into Freo, so they can continue to support our small businesses."
As stated by Bicton MLA Lisa O'Malley:
"Today's announcement is the culmination of many months of planning, and community feedback has been paramount in those efforts.
"We know the upcoming closure will be disruptive, but these measures will ensure the impacts are minimised.
"It's important locals start thinking about how they get around next year."
