Crowds lined the eastern foreshore on Sunday night, to watch the official opening of the new Mandurah Traffic Bridge.
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A highlight of the evening was a vivid lighting display along the northern side of the bridge, which awed attendees.
The main formalities of the evening was a plaque unveiling featuring Mandurah MP David Templeman, transport minister Rita Saffioti and mayor Rhys Williams.
The event took the form of a community picnic and encouraged families to gather at the foreshore to celebrate the completion of the $51.8 million structure.
The new structure replaces the Old Mandurah Traffic Bridge, which opened in 1953, but had reached the end of its life and no longer had capacity for current volumes of traffic.
The City of Mandurah and Main Roads Western Australia formed a collaborative partnership, and worked closely with the community to develop a concept for the replacement bridge.
The two organisations also worked closely with design and construction contractor Georgiou Group through the project delivery and construction to ensure that impacts to road users and the community were minimised.
Stories and pictures that celebrate the city’s rich social history were also incorporated into the celebration with an exhibition at the Mandurah Community Museum and guided walking tours on offer.
Roving performers will be situated along the foreshore to entertain attendees throughout the occasion.
The event was free and welcomed people of all ages with twilight market stalls, live music, pony rides and children’s activities.
Since the four lanes were opened in December, there has been increased traffic capacity across the bay.
“I want to extend my thanks to the City of Mandurah for its excellent teamwork, and the people of Mandurah for their patience while this important project was being constructed under complex traffic conditions and adjacent to the business precinct,” Ms Saffioti said.
“The project has been a great example of collaboration between government agencies and engagement with the community and stakeholders.”
Mr Templeman said it had been fantastic to see the community come together to celebrate the completion of this “striking” new bridge.
“This has been a community project every step of the way, with our classic cars and local schoolchildren also among the first to cross the new bridge earlier this year,” he said.
The old bridge has since been demolished and work has been undertaken to complete paths, landscaping and feature boardwalks under the new bridge.
To align with the opening, a book will be produced showcasing the past and present life of Mandurah’s bridge.
The book will collate photographs captured by members of the general public.
For more information visit the City of Mandurah’s website.
