Roads and Bridges of Western Australia

May 24

The Perth Causeway Bridge over the Swan River was opened as a toll bridge, with tolls ranging from 1 penny for lambs, pigs, goats and pedestrians to 6 pence for gigs, chaises, carts and drays. A flood in July, 1862, destroyed part of the bridge. It was widened in 1903, to take tram lines, and again in 1933. It was replaced by the present steel and concrete structure, bedded on timber piles, in 1952.

A bridge of jarrah timber beams was built over the Greenough River south of Geraldton, Western Australia - claimed to be Australia's oldest standing timber bridge.

Convicts helped construct a bridge over the Swan River at Fremantle.

The Conference of State Road Authorities was established. In 1959, it became the National Association of Australian State Road Authorities.

The Narrows Bridge across the Swan River at Perth was opened, together with 5.4 km of the Kwinana Freeway.

Bitumen surfacing was completed on the WA section of the Eyre Highway-724 km from Norseman to Eucla. The whole length of the highway, linking Adelaide and Perth, was completed on September 29, 1976.

The 684 km section of WA's Great Northern Highway, between Perth and Meekatharra, was completed.

The Narrows Interchange in Perth was opened.

In 1973, the longest of 30 major structures on the North-West Coastal Highway between Carnarvon and Port Hedland was completed over the Fortescue River.

The Stirling Bridge over the Swan River at Fremantle was opened as part of the Fremantle Eastern Bypass. In the same year, a modern high-level bridge was built over the Fitzroy River at Fitzroy Crossing, north Western Australia.

The North-West Coastal Highway was opened.

Bitumen surfacing to Broome was completed. This provided a bitumen route from Perth via Carnarvon to the Kimberley region, as far east as Fitzroy Crossing.

Western Australia's longest public road bridge, the Mount Henry Bridge which is 660 metres long, was completed over the Canning River.