- Government announces next stage of measures to support Fremantle Traffic Bridge closure
- New school bus specials will be brought into service in 2026 and additional school bus services will help reduce car usage over Stirling Bridge during morning and afternoon peak
- Engagement with key schools on encouraging less car usage to commence
- Additional measures are currently being developed and will be announced soon
The Western Australian Government has today announced the next stage of measures to reduce peak-hour vehicle usage and keep Stirling Highway moving during the 12-month closure of the Fremantle Traffic Bridge next year.
Following the outcomes of an extensive community survey, the government announced today it would introduce three new school bus specials during the closure period. The school bus specials will support the movement of students to and from school along the Stirling Highway corridor including Iona Presentation College, Presbyterian Ladies' College and St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls.
The outcomes of the community survey indicated car movements to and from these schools represented a significant amount of traffic using the Stirling Bridge during morning and afternoon peak.
The introduction and usage of school bus specials to get students to and from school will be a key way of reducing the number of vehicles moving along Stirling Highway during morning and afternoon peak.
Representatives from the Public Transport Authority and Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure will continue engagement with key schools along the Stirling Highway corridor to discuss the new school bus specials, encourage public transport use and carpooling, and develop active transport alternatives.
More than 1,200 responses were received as part of the extensive community survey, with around a third of people indicating they planned to utilise public transport more often during the shut.
The information and data received during the consultation is currently being used to develop a range of additional measures focused on public transport usage, incident response and additional technology to keep traffic moving.
These additional measures form part of holistic approach including previously announced road modifications and major investment in smart system technology to manage traffic movements and will be finalised and announced in the coming weeks.
They will help ensure the WA Government continues to deliver quality infrastructure and services across our state, to support a high quality of life for Western Australians no matter where they live.
Construction of the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge remains on schedule, with towers now in place in all four corners of the bridge.
Replacing the current Fremantle Traffic Bridge over the Swan River, the new bridge will have two lanes in each direction, wider active transport paths, and a higher clearance for watercraft, providing safer, better connections for the community.
The current bridge will close to traffic in early 2026, with the government to announce a formal date later this year.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"We're seeing good progress on the new Fremantle Traffic Bridge, with a huge amount of construction now completed.
"Delivering a major component of construction while the existing bridge remains open means we can reduce closure times, but we know the unavoidable shut will cause disruption.
"To help mitigate the impacts of the shut, we will be delivering a comprehensive package of initiatives to keep key roads flowing and reduce the amount of cars using the network during peak hour.
"Community feedback has been critical in developing this suite of initiatives, with further key announcement to be made in the coming weeks."
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.
"From the construction methodology to a suite of initiatives that encourage less car usage, we're working hard to make sure the disruption is minimised.
"These initiatives are in direct response to the feedback we got from the community, and I want thank Fremantle residents and businesses for their input."
As stated by Bicton MLA Lisa O'Malley:
"I want to thank the community members throughout the electorate of Bicton and beyond who took the time to provide feedback during this consultation process.
"Your input is critical to developing the package of initiatives aimed at getting more people using alternative modes of travel and reducing car traffic during peak hour while simultaneously supporting small businesses throughout the affected area.
"We know this will be a disruptive period ahead, and I want to thank all members of our community for their continued patience as we deliver this important project."
