Mandurah Estuary Bridge duplication nears halfway point

The second Mandurah Estuary Bridge is taking shape with the structure now sitting halfway across the water.

In an update, Main Roads WA said the eighth incremental launch is now complete.

"The bridge is being launched every second week and takes around 4-5 hours to launch a 26-metre segment," the Main Roads WA update said.

"208 meters of bridge girder has been launched with around 175 meters of it pushed across the estuary between Halls Head, Erskine and Dudley Park."

A total of 15 segments will make up the length of the 380-metre-long structure, with the bridge extending a further 25 metres across the water every two to three weeks. 

The second bridge is set to ease congestion on the existing bridge, which is crossed by an average 33,000 vehicles every day.

With rapid population growth in the area and congestion an ongoing issue, particularly during the busy holiday seasons, the project is delivering a second, two-lane bridge on the south side of the existing structure to provide additional traffic lanes. 

On completion, both bridges will have the capacity to move to a three-lane configuration to address future population growth and increases in traffic demands.   

The new bridge will also have a four-metre-wide shared path underneath, in line with the existing bridge, as well as a new accessible fishing platform on the eastern foreshore.

Additional amenity walls have recently been included to provide privacy and noise buffering for residents on either side of the Mandurah Estuary Bridge, as well as new feature lighting on both bridges. 

The $136 million project is being jointly funded by the State and Federal Government, with completion expected by late 2025.