Work starts on Swan River pedestrian bridge

The significance of the Swan River and the area around the planned Swan River pedestrian bridge to the Whadjuk people was recognised on-site today with a symbolic pre-construction smoking ceremony at the East Perth end of the walkway.

Transport Minister Dean Nalder said consultation would be ongoing with the Whadjuk Working Party throughout the project.

"This bridge is an integral part of the State Government's transport solution to move people to and from Perth Stadium when it opens in 2018," Mr Nalder said.

The contractor York Rizzani De Eccher has spent the past several months refining the design for the steel and concrete cable-stay bridge and construction will start later this month.

The Minister said the bridge would be assembled and built on the Burswood Peninsula side and a smaller work area would be established in East Perth in January.

The first in-river works will see silt curtains installed and clean granite placed in the river from the Burswood foreshore to build a 100 metre-long causeway.  This will be used for in-river construction and as an assembly platform.  It will be removed when the project is complete.

Like the nearby Windan traffic bridge, the new pedestrian and cyclist bridge will have a clearance of about eight metres on its underside and will be open for year-round community use.  The design incorporates two landscaped pause points with seating for people to take in the river vistas.

Fact File

• Aboriginal heritage and cultural significance of the site and Swan River will be integrated into the design of the stadium and surrounds, particularly in the landscaping.
• The bridge will consist of two piers in the water, two piers on the shore line, three bridge spans, two bridge ramps and a special events bus stand in Nelson Avenue.
• Two temporary causeways will be built, each causeway will be 120m by 50m, leaving a 100m centre clearance for river traffic.
• The new Perth Stadium will open in time for the start of the 2018 AFL season.
• For more information, visit perthstadium.com.au