MORE THAN 1200 responses have been received by the West Australian state government about measures to be taken during the closure of the Fremantle Traffic Bridge next year.
The bridge closure is expected to significantly impact on truck traffic coming and going to the Port of Fremantle and the Department of Transport is introducing a series of measures to reduce traffic flows.
The latest, announced today (24 September), is for the introduction of three new school bus specials during the closure period.
A government media release said 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,” the release said.
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.
Response to the community survey showed around a third of people indicated they planned to utilise public transport more often during the shutdown.
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.”
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.