New bridge design in Perth suburb set to progress

Construction of the Lloyd Street Bridge in Perth’s eastern suburb of Midland is expected to begin before the end of the year after an agreement on design principles was reached with local Traditional Owners.

The agreement follows four years of consultation, collaboration, and design investigation to ensure the crossing avoids impact to culturally significant sites, including the Helena River and a seasonal pool located on the bridge’s alignment.

The new design features a 180-metre-long bridge, spanning most of the Helena River floodplain, with two sets of supporting piers to be positioned away from culturally sensitive areas.

Key points

• Lloyd Street Bridge project in Midland to progress after agreement reached with Traditional Owners over design
• Design endorsed following extensive consultation with Traditional Owners
• New design will significantly reduce bridge’s footprint, reducing vegetation clearing requirements by around 20 per cent
• Bridge to directly link Midland with the industrial areas of Hazelmere, as well as the extension of Lloyd Street to the Great Eastern Highway Bypass intersection
• Labor Government committed to delivering quality infrastructure to support growing communities across Western Australia

The new design also significantly reduces the project’s footprint, reducing the vegetation clearing requirement by around 20 per cent.

The bridge will have two lanes in each direction, as well as paths for pedestrians and cyclists.

With key design principles agreed, the project will proceed to the detailed design stage. This will be accompanied by site investigations and broader stakeholder engagement.

“Back in 2022, Traditional Owners and other local stakeholders raised significant concerns about the impact of the bridge design on Aboriginal heritage sites and the environment,” Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said.

“This resulted in the submission of a Section 10 Application to the Federal Government under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act.

“The State could have referred the Section 10 Application to the Federal Government for formal determination and continued to build the previous design, against the wishes of the Traditional Owners and other community representatives.

“Instead, our government, Main Roads, and the City of Swan listened, worked with the Traditional Owners to get a better understanding of their concerns and set out to work towards a design the whole community could be proud of.

WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti. (AAP Photo)

“Over the past four years, the Main Roads project team has investigated various options and sought to incorporate feedback and input from the Traditional Owners.

“The agreed design, which will be one of the longest multi-span bridges in the State, is a result of collaborative co-design, and we thank the Traditional Owners and their advisors, the Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association, for working with us to achieve a much better outcome.”

Subject to detailed design progression, construction works could begin around the end of 2026.

The project will be broadened to include the connection of Lloyd Street to the intersection of Great Eastern Highway Bypass and Abernethy Road, completing the long-planned Lloyd Street link between the Great Eastern Highway and the Bypass.

Project will enable future construction

Completion of the Lloyd Street extension is essential to cater for increasing traffic volumes in and around Midland as it grows, including its public and private hospitals.

It will also support the growth of the Hazelmere Industrial Area and reduce congestion on local roads, including Stirling Crescent, Military Road and Clayton Street.

By connecting Lloyd Street and the Great Eastern Highway Bypass, the project will enable future construction of the proposed Roe Highway and Great Eastern Highway Bypass Interchange.

The project is being delivered by Main Roads on behalf of the City of Swan and is co-funded by the State and Federal Governments.