We have made significant progress on major repairs and refurbishment works on Scott Street bridge over the Helena River, on behalf of the Shire of Mundaring.

Work started in March 2023 and the eastern carriageway and new footpath is now complete. The western carriageway is under construction and the new bridge is expected to re-open in late February 2024.

Until this project is complete, the current traffic management will remain in place around-the-clock. This means there is a single lane available over the bridge and stop/slow traffic management in place. Access for all businesses and residences will continue to be maintained.

The original construction timeframe for this project has been impacted by a number of factors, including conflicts with Water Corporation infrastructure, steel shortages, inclement weather and additional project scope. Our contractor is also unable to work during harvest and vehicle movement bans imposed by the Shire of Mundaring to reduce fire risk in certain conditions.

 Funding

This $2.4 million project is funded through the Federal Government's Roads to Recovery program.

We are building a new concrete bridge on Station Street, over the Canning River in Gosnells.

This work is being undertaken on behalf of the City of Gosnells and the new bridge should be completed by the end of 2024. 

This project is funded with $9 million from:

• Australian Government (Bridges Renewal Program): $4.5m
• State Government: $3.5m
• City of Gosnells: $1m

 What to expect during construction

This project requires the removal of some vegetation, which has been approved by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER).

The City of Gosnells has also approved a closure of the existing Cargeeg Bridge (on Station Street) to expedite the safe and efficient construction of the new traffic bridge.

Starting in March/April 2024, the existing single-lane bridge will be closed to all traffic, including pedestrians and cyclists. The footpath under the bridge will also be closed for safety reasons.

This closure is expected to be in place until late 2024. It will allow construction activities to be expedited in a safer and more efficient manner and avoid road user confusion caused by intermittent road closures.

During the construction period, a detour will be in place for all traffic via Astley Street, Gerald Street, Albany Highway, Ferres Drive and Mills Road West. Pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to cross the river using a combination of the existing bridge and temporary paths on Station Street.

Most of the work will be undertaken during the day, with any after hours works advertised in advance.

Once the new traffic bridge is completed and connected to Station Street, Cargeeg Bridge will reopen as a pedestrian crossing only.

 Project scope

The new two-lane bridge is being built to the north of the existing single-lane Cargeeg Bridge, which was constructed in 1938, and is to be preserved by the City of Gosnells to provide pedestrian and cyclist access.

This location was selected by the City to avoid existing constraints, including the overhead power lines and private land, which abut the southern side of the existing structure.

 

Station Street will be realigned to tie-into the new bridge and a shared path will be constructed to link to Cargeeg Bridge, providing improved local pedestrian connectivity and safety.

Local road street lighting, along with signs and line-marking, will complete the project. To future-proof the new bridge, provision has also been made to retrofit a shared path to the structure.

 Why do we need a new bridge?

The ageing Cargeeg Bridge is built from timber and currently carries about 4,000 vehicles per day. It provides an important link between the Gosnells town centre and the Martin residential area, as well as to and from local schools.

Building a new dual-lane bridge will improve safety and efficiency by eliminating the long delays road users currently experience while waiting to cross the river. The new concrete structure will also cater for the increased loads associated with modern-day traffic.

We will be building a new bridge on Jarrahdale Road, over Gooralong Brook.

The existing timber bridge spanning Gooralong Brook is over 60 years old and in poor condition. Replacing it with a steel and concrete structure will ensure its longevity as part of the local road network, and minimise any risk of damage in the event of a fire.

The new bridge has been designed without a central pier, restoring the natural flow of the Gooralong Brook. In keeping with current design standards, the traffic lanes will each be widened by more than one metre and an upgraded path will be built on the western side.

This work is being undertaken by Main Roads, on behalf of the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale. Following further consultation with traditional owners, it is expected to get underway in Spring 2024 and take about six months to complete.

The $4 million project is funded by the Australian Government’s Bridges Renewal Program, the State Government and the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale.

 What to expect during construction?

To keep traffic flowing along this important local and tourist route during construction, a temporary road will be built adjacent to the existing bridge. A temporary footpath will also be constructed to maintain pedestrian access.

Some minor clearing of non-native vegetation has been approved to allow construction of the temporary road.

Most of the work will be completed during the day, with speed restrictions through the worksite.