Stirling Bridge, Fremantle, 1974-
Description
A bridge over the Swan River at Fremantle has always been a key focus of interest since the colony was settled in 1829, with the Perth township situated on the northern bank and the port of Fremantle located on the southern. A road crossing of the river upstream of the harbour was the obvious place for a bridge but the fledgling colony did not have the technical and financial resources for some considerable time to accomplish this objective. Eventually two timber bridges were built and one of them is still in use today, having been upgraded several times. The other was demolished in 1947.
The Stirling Bridge, located upstream of the existing timber road bridge and steel and concrete railway bridge, was completed in 1974 and is the most recent construction to span these waters. The bridge forms a link between Stirling Highway and Cockburn Road as part of the bypass of the City of Fremantle. It was designed to meet the traffic requirements generated by the continuing development of heavy industry in the Kwinana area and general urban expansion. The bridge has been planned in two stages. The first, the subject of this nomination, was completed in 1974. The second bridge, to be built when required, will duplicate the existing structure on the upstream side, adding another three lanes, giving a combined width of 35 m.
Division
Marker Type
- EHM: Engineering Heritage Marker (from 2009)