News, Road upgrades, Western Australia

New Ranford Road Bridge opens to traffic

The new Ranford Road Bridge in the suburbs of Perth, WA is officially completed, with all lanes now open to traffic.  

The bridge is 1.2m higher, 15m longer and significantly wider than it was previously, and now includes six general traffic lanes as opposed to four.  

There is also a dedicated bus lane and shared path for pedestrians and cyclists on each side. 

The new bridge is expected to cater for an estimated average two-way traffic flow of 43,000 vehicles a day. 

It has been delivered as part of the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link project, with the old bridge too low to support the new passenger rail below. 

The staged approach to bridge construction has meant traffic lanes could be maintained while the old bridge was demolished and the new bridge built. 

The completion of the Ranford Road Bridge comes as works on the 17.5-kilometre Thornlie-Cockburn Link continue, with the project on track for completion in 2025. 

The project will deliver the first east-west rail link between the Mandurah and Armadale Line, with two new stations built at Ranford Road and Nicholson Road. 

Structural steel is now in place for the entry buildings for both stations, while bus canopies have also been built.

Nicholson Road Station has also recently had a 27-tonne lift shaft installed, which will house the lifts that will carry passengers between the entry building and concourse. 

Once complete, the Ranford Road Station and Nicholson Road Station will offer passengers a 29-minute and 26-minute journey to the city respectively. 

The $1.352 billion Thornlie-Cockburn Link project is jointly funded by the WA State Government and the Australian Government.  

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said in a statement: “The Australian Government is proud to be partnering with the Western Australian Government to enable funding to upgrade this long-needed essential road link in southern Perth. 

“It’s great to see the completion of this bridge project which now means a safer, smoother and more efficient link along Ranford Road, better catering for the large amount of traffic and huge weight involved in enabling that amount of traffic to constantly cross the bridge.” 

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