Canning MHR Andrew Hastie and Mandurah Mayor Marina Vergone cut the ribbon on Friday beneath threatening rain clouds, but despite Bunnings donating 48 umbrellas to the ceremony, the rain held off.
Mr Hastie described the bridge as a “good-looking piece of infrastructure”.’
He said it was a good example of different levels of government working together and acknowledged his predecessor, the late Don Randall, whom he said would have enjoyed the opening.
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READ NOWMs Vergone said the bridge provided vital links between transport services and two affordable housing developments – Mandurah Central and Mandurah Junction – on either side of the highway.
Sixteen housing units at Mandurah Junction have already been built with a further 34 in the pipeline.
The bridge also provides a safe crossing for people accessing health and education facilities, Murdoch University, and residential areas.
Ms Vergone said the footbridge demonstrated the council’s commitment to planning for the future. The project received $5.4 million in Federal Government funding through the Building Better Regional Cities program, $500,000 from the State Government (Landcorp), $760,863 from the State Government’s Royalties for Regions Country Local Government Fund and $1.1 million from the City of Mandurah.
The project included the highly complex engineering of three-dimensional arches instead of the normal two dimensions.
The footbridge allows high and wide vehicles to pass underneath the bridge deck.